A 65-year-old woman was killed by a shark while swimming at Orient Beach in KuGompo City, formerly East London, on Tuesday morning.

Janine Lochrenberg was swimming in the sea during a group swim when she signalled that she was in distress. Fellow swimmers rushed to help her and brought her ashore, but attempts to save her life were unsuccessful.

The attack left her with severe bite wounds to her upper arm and thigh.

Eastern Cape police spokesperson Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said officers were called to Orient Beach at about 7am and found the woman’s body with open wounds.

Police have opened an inquest at the KuGompo police station to investigate the circumstances of her death.

Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality ordered the immediate closure of Orient Beach and nearby Eastern Beach until further notice.

The municipality warned swimmers to stay out of the water at both beaches and said safety warnings had also been issued for other beaches in the area.

“Beachgoers are urged to exercise extreme caution and to refrain from entering the water at the affected beaches,” the municipality said.

Fellow swimmer Mike Loewe told the SABC that members of an open-water swimming group had responded when the woman signalled for help.

He said Lochrenberg was a recently retired nuclear radiographer and musician who enjoyed swimming in the ocean.

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