A 65-year-old woman died on Tuesday after being mauled by a shark while swimming off a popular beach on South Africa’s southeastern coast, according to authorities and witnesses.
Police reported that they were called to Orient Beach in KuGompo City, which was previously known as East London, at approximately 7:00 a.m. local time. Upon arrival, officers discovered the body of the victim bearing open wounds. Local media outlets reported that the woman was a regular swimmer and was part of a group when the attack took place. According to a local community group, other swimmers in the water spotted a shark’s tail and fin before the attack unfolded, noting that the victim suffered severe injuries to the right side of her arm and leg.
In response to the tragedy, the municipality closed nearby beaches and issued warnings urging the public to stay out of the water. Municipal officials confirmed the nature of the incident in an official statement, acknowledging that a shark attack had taken place at Orient Beach that morning.
While fatal shark encounters remain uncommon worldwide, South Africa has a recorded history of deadly incidents along its extensive coastline. Tuesday’s tragedy follows a similar fatal encounter approximately one month earlier, when a man swimming off a Western Australian city shore was killed in front of beachgoers.
Data compiled by the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File indicates that there were 65 unprovoked shark bites globally in 2025, marking an increase from 47 the previous year. Those figures included nine fatalities worldwide. South Africa recorded one unprovoked and fatal attack last year. By comparison, the United States registered 25 unprovoked attacks with one fatality in the same period, while Australia recorded 21 unprovoked attacks resulting in five fatalities.
South Africa previously recorded two fatal shark attacks in 2022, including an incident involving a 39-year-old woman who was killed while vacationing with her husband and young child. Marine researchers note that human-shark encounters can be influenced by multiple factors, including growing coastal populations, increased recreational use of marine waters, environmental changes, and shifts in the geographic distribution of both sharks and their natural prey.
