In brief
South Africa mourns the loss of Janine Lochrenberg, a 65‑year‑old swimmer who was bitten by a shark off KuGompo City on Tuesday morning. Witnesses say she suffered fatal bites on her thigh and upper arm despite attempting to swim to shore. This is the first fatal shark attack in the country since 2012. Authorities have closed the beach at Orient Beach. The incident underscores the rare but deadly encounters between sharks and people in the region.
Swimmer, 65, killed in shark attack off South Africa's east coast
A South African woman has been killed in a shark attack off the country's east coast, in what is the first recorded such fatality this year.
Janine Lochrenberg was swimming off a beach in KuGompo City (formerly East London) on Tuesday morning when she was attacked.
Witnesses say she suffered fatal bites on her thigh and upper arm, and died before she could be brought to shore.
Shark attacks are rare in South Africa, with fewer than 10 fatal ones since 2012, according to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File.
Lochrenberg was out on a daily morning swim with her local open‑water swimming club when the incident occurred around 08:00 local time. Fellow swimmers brought her to shore but she died in the water.
She was bitten on her thigh and upper arm, and was wearing a magnetic shark‑repellent band on her ankle at the time.
Her sister says she was holding Lochrenberg’s head as they carried her to shore, but the sister believes she bled out in the water.
Lochrenberg’s sister described her sister as loving the water deeply and having made peace with the shark presence in East London.
Her partner, Barbara Briceland, described her as a brave, intelligent, fun, kind, and thoughtful person who loved life.
The duo were planning a three‑week road trip together before the fatal day.
Orient Beach, where the attack took place, has been closed alongside another nearby beach by authorities.
By Ed Habershon, Johannesburg
Published: 20 October 2026
