A 65-year-old swimmer died on Tuesday, October 20, after being attacked by a shark at Orient Beach, in KuGompo, in the South African province of the Eastern Cape, according to the public broadcaster SABC and local authorities.
The woman was in the water with a group shortly after 8 a.m. local time, or 6 a.m. GMT, when she reported that she was in distress, Reuters reported citing a witness interviewed by SABC. She was brought back to shore, where her death was confirmed.
The Buffalo City metropolitan municipality has confirmed that a shark attack occurred in the morning. It has closed Orient Beach as well as Eastern Beach until further notice and has asked the public not to enter the water at the affected beaches.
The authorities also issued warnings about other beaches in the area and urged swimmers to follow safety instructions. The relevant services were on site to handle the incident, according to the municipal statement relayed by The Independent.
The identity of the victim had not been made public immediately, pending notification of their relatives. The authorities had also not specified the species of shark involved.
