Swimmer, 65, killed in shark attack off South Africa's east coast
Janine Lochrenberg, 65, was out on her daily morning swim with her club when she was attacked, her family tell the BBC.
Swimmer, 65, killed in shark attack off South Africa's east coast
Janine Lochrenberg had "a deep affinity with the water" her sister told the BBC
A South African woman has died in a shark attack off the country’s east coast, marking the first recorded fatal incident of this kind this year.
Janine Lochrenberg was swimming off a beach in KuGompo City (formerly East London) on Tuesday morning when she was attacked.
Witnesses said the 65-year-old was bitten in two places and died before she was brought ashore.
Shark attacks are uncommon in South Africa, with about 10 fatal cases since 2012, according to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File.
Lochrenberg was on her daily morning swim with her local open water swimming club when she was attacked at around 08:00 (06:00 GMT). Fellow swimmers brought her to shore, but it is believed she had already died before they could get her out of the water.
One of her fellow swimmers told the BBC that she was bitten on her thigh and upper arm. They also said she had been wearing a magnetic shark repellent band on her ankle at the time.
Lochrenberg's sister Margot said she was holding her sister's head as they brought her to shore, but believed she had bled out in the water.
She told the BBC that her sister had "loved the water so much" even though she knew 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," she said.
Barbara Briceland, Lochrenberg's partner, told the BBC that the retired medical physicist was a strong swimmer who often went far out into the breakers, and described her as very brave.
"She was highly intelligent, lots of fun, kind, in a quietish way, thoughtful, well-loved with a love of life."
Briceland added that they were looking forward to retirement and were about to leave for a three-week road trip together.
Orient Beach, where the attack happened, has been closed along with another nearby beach, authorities confirmed.