A 65-year-old South African woman has died after a shark attack off the country's east coast the first recorded fatal attack this year.
Janine Lochrenberg was swimming near a beach in KuGompo City (formerly East London) on Tuesday morning when the shark struck. Witnesses said she suffered bites to her thigh and upper arm and died before fellow swimmers could bring her to shore.
She was on her daily morning swim with a local open water swimming club when the attack happened around 08:00 local time. One fellow swimmer told the BBC that Lochrenberg had been wearing a magnetic shark repellent band on her ankle.
Her sister Margot said she held Lochrenberg's head as they brought her to shore but believed she bled out in the water. She said her sister "loved the water so much" despite knowing there was an “elevated shark presence in East London.”
"She'd made peace with that. She had a deep affinity with the water and was a remarkable person," Margot said.
Lochrenberg's partner, Barbara Briceland, described the retired medical physicist as a strong swimmer who often swam far out into the breakers. "She was highly intelligent, lots of fun, kind, in a quietish way, thoughtful, well-loved with a love of life." She added they were looking forward to retirement and a three-week road trip together.
Authorities have closed Orient Beach, where the attack occurred, along with a nearby beach.
Shark attacks are rare in South Africa, with about 10 fatal incidents since 2012, according to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File.
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