The body of a swimmer was recovered south of Davenport Beach on Dec. 27 and family members have identified the remains as 55-year-old Erica Fox, who went missing off Lovers Point on Dec. 21. Local agencies are coordinating the investigation, and Cal Fire assisted with recovery operations. A witness reported a shark breaching with what appeared to be a human in its mouth around the time Fox disappeared, but officials say there is no conclusive evidence linking that sighting to her disappearance. Searches had been suspended after more than 15 hours covering over 84 square nautical miles.
Body Recovered Near Davenport Beach Identified by Family as Missing Swimmer Erica Fox After Suspected Shark Sighting
CAL FIRE CZU San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit FacebookCal Fire at the scene of a body being recovered from the beach south of Davenport
Santa Cruz County, Calif. — A body recovered from the ocean south of Davenport Beach on Dec. 27 has been identified by family members as 55-year-old Erica Fox, who went missing after entering the water off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove on Dec. 21, authorities and relatives said.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said the recovery took place just miles north of where the Monterey County swimmer was reported missing. Cal Fire personnel posted photos showing a rope-and-pulley system used to lift the recovered remains from the shoreline to the bluffs while assisting at the scene.
Officials initially did not confirm the identity or gender of the person recovered. On Dec. 28, Fox’s father told ABC’s Santa Cruz affiliate KSBW that family members identified the body based on the clothing she was wearing when she disappeared. Local law enforcement agencies have said they will release additional information as the investigation continues.
CAL FIRE CZU San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit FacebookBody recovered from the beach south of Davenport
Timeline and Search Effort
Fox was reported missing after entering the water near Lovers Point in Pacific Grove on Dec. 21. Pacific Grove Police said search operations began that day and continued into Dec. 22 before being suspended after more than 15 hours of searching an area exceeding 84 square nautical miles.
Shark Sighting Reported
Petty Officer Christopher Sappey of the U.S. Coast Guard told SFGATE that a witness reported seeing a shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth before submerging. "I can confirm that there was a reported sighting in the area; however, we cannot necessarily correlate this sighting with the missing person as there is no confirming evidence of that," Sappey said.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said it is coordinating with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the Pacific Grove Police Department and Cal Fire amid the ongoing investigation into the recovery. As of Dec. 29, those agencies had not provided additional comment to PEOPLE.
Authorities have stressed that while the proximity of the recovery to the earlier missing-person report and the reported shark sighting has prompted coordination between agencies, there is no confirmed forensic or official link publicly announced yet.
What We Know: A body was recovered south of Davenport Beach on Dec. 27; family members have identified the remains as Erica Fox; she had been reported missing off Lovers Point on Dec. 21; a reported shark sighting in the area has not been definitively tied to her disappearance. The investigation remains active.
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