Authorities closed two beaches in KuGompo after the 65-year-old swimmer was attacked during an early-morning open-water swim.
KUGOMPO, South Africa — A 65-year-old woman died Tuesday after a shark attacked her while she was swimming off Orient Beach on South Africa’s southeastern coast, prompting authorities to close two beaches and open an inquest into her death.
The woman was identified in media reports as Janine Lochrenberg, a retired radiographer, musician and experienced open-water swimmer. Police were called to Orient Beach at about 7 a.m. Oct. 20 and found her body at the beach, Eastern Cape police spokesperson Col. Siphokazi Mawisa told The Associated Press. The species of shark involved had not been identified as authorities continued to examine the circumstances of the attack.
Lochrenberg had been swimming with members of an open-water group when she signaled or cried out that she was in distress, according to accounts from fellow swimmers. Members of the group went to help her and brought her toward shore. A medic who was among the swimmers attempted to revive her, but she was declared dead at the scene. Officials and witnesses said her injuries were consistent with a shark attack.
Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality closed Orient Beach and nearby Eastern Beach as a precaution after the attack. Officials also issued warnings at other beaches in the area and urged the public to follow instructions from authorities. Municipal spokesperson Luzuko Buku said the city was investigating the incident to establish what had happened. Police opened an inquest, a routine procedure used in South Africa to examine deaths that may require further investigation.
Orient Beach is in KuGompo, the city formerly known as East London, along the Eastern Cape coast. The beach and surrounding waterfront are used for swimming and other recreational activities, including organized open-water swims. Municipal records cited by Buku show the attack was the first shark-related death in the city since about 1997. The municipality recorded another shark incident in 2023, but it was not fatal.
Fellow swimmer Mike Loewe said the death shocked the local open-water community. He described Lochrenberg as a courageous swimmer who was comfortable in the ocean. People reported that swimmers in the group were wearing magnetic shark-repellent devices, including Lochrenberg, but authorities had not announced findings about whether those devices played any role in the circumstances of the attack.
Lochrenberg was also remembered for work and interests away from the water. Friends described her as a recently retired nuclear radiographer and a musician who played viola. She was a longtime member of the Viva Musica Ensemble, which said she had been with the group since its founding and had pushed fellow musicians toward high standards. Members of the local swimming community also paid tribute to her after her death.
Her sister told the BBC that Lochrenberg loved the water despite being aware of shark activity around East London. Her partner, Barbara Briceland, described her as a strong swimmer and remembered her as intelligent, thoughtful, kind and brave. The couple had been making plans for retirement and a road trip, according to the report.
Fatal shark attacks remain uncommon in South Africa despite the country’s long coastline and the presence of several shark species. The International Shark Attack File recorded 29 unprovoked shark bites in South Africa from 2012 through 2021, six of them fatal. Authorities had not identified the species responsible for Tuesday’s attack, and reports that noted the presence of great white sharks along the South African coast did not link that species to Lochrenberg’s death.
Orient Beach and Eastern Beach remained closed until further notice as officials assessed conditions and continued their investigation. Police had opened an inquest, while municipal authorities said they were reviewing the incident and maintaining warnings for other beaches in the area.