Search operations for missing swimmer Erica Fox, co-founder of Kelp Krawlers, were called off after three days near Lover’s Point. Despite advanced robotic scans and diver efforts by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, no trace was found amid worsening weather and suspected shark activity.

After more than 20 hours of searching in three days for the missing co-founder of the Kelp Krawlers swimming group, Erica Fox, who is believed to have fallen victim to a shark attack, on Sunday, December 21, near Lover’s Point, the search effort has been called off.

The search effort started with divers with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office diving in locations that were identified by the sea floor mapping equipment, but there was no trace of the missing swimmer.

The official search efforts were called off on Monday at 4.45 pm after unfavorable weather conditions. However, when the weather improved, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office continued its search until Tuesday evening, Dec. 23, to take advantage of encouraging dive conditions.

The search effort was also joined by Bedrock Ocean Exploration, a Port Richmond-based company, and lent its advanced robotics to map the ocean floor together with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office dive team. Using the autonomous robotic undersea vehicle, an area equaling 1,000 by 500 yards was scanned. However, as weather conditions took a turn for the worse, the sheriff’s office dive team suspended its rescue mission at 4 pm.

Erica Fox was a highly experienced swimmer and was associated with the Kelp Krawlers group for more than two decades. She was one of the swimmers among a group comprising 15 swimmers. One of the swimmers of the group who was exiting the sea reported seeing a shark. A passerby then called 911 and reported sighting a shark in the sea.

The search and rescue effort was repeatedly halted due to adverse weather conditions. The weatherman has forecast hazardous conditions for beaches and oceans. Waves in excess of 20 feet have been predicted, as per a release by the National Weather Service forecast.

The missing swimmer was an accomplished triathlete from Pebble Beach, and according to her father, it was a weekly fixture for Fox to swim with friends in Monterey Bay each weekend.

Missing swimmer Erica Fox’s father said,

 “I’m in shock, and I’m kind of numbed by all this, because it was just out of the blue. Erica was doing something yesterday that she really loved.”

Meanwhile, after the suspected shark attack, Lovers Point Beach and nearby swimming spots remain closed as a precautionary measure.

According to data released by the International Shark Attack File, run by the Florida Museum of Natural History, on average there are 65 documented shark attacks each year, and six fatal attacks are reported every year.