Woman Fatally Mauled by Shark Off South African Beach

A woman has died after a shark attack while swimming off a popular beach on South Africa's southeastern coast on Tuesday. The victim, identified locally as 65-year-old Janine Lochrenberg, a retired nuclear radiographer, was swimming with a group at Orient Beach in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) when the incident occurred.

Witnesses told local outlet News 24 that Lochrenberg was heard screaming, and two other swimmers, along with her son, brought her back to shore. "She was very much in a distressed way. She had been severely bitten. It looked like it was an injury to her thigh and upper arm," said Mike Loewe, who was swimming nearby. "She was brought ashore. We tried to raise her pulse, but unfortunately, she passed on. Medics declared her dead."

Police confirmed they were called to the scene around 7:00 a.m. local time and found a 65-year-old woman with severe wounds. A local community group reported that other swimmers had seen a shark's tail and fin, and that the victim sustained significant injuries to her right arm and leg.

In response to the attack, the municipality closed nearby beaches and advised the public to avoid the water. According to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File, there were 65 unprovoked shark bites globally in 2025, an increase from 47 in the previous year, which resulted in nine fatalities. One of those fatalities occurred in South Africa.

Researchers suggest that factors such as increasing coastal populations, greater use of marine environments, changing environmental conditions, and shifts in shark and prey distribution can influence shark encounters. While fatal shark attacks are rare worldwide, South Africa's extensive coastline has seen a history of deadly incidents.