A 65-year-old woman died Tuesday after a shark attack while swimming off the southeastern coast of South Africa, authorities and witnesses reported. The incident occurred at Orient Beach in Kugompo City, formerly known as East London, prompting local officials to close two nearby beaches and advise the public against entering the water.

Emergency responders were alerted around 7 a.m. and found the woman’s body at the scene, according to an Eastern Cape police spokesperson. An inquest into her death has been launched. Fellow swimmers who were part of an open-water swimming group heard the woman’s distress calls and helped bring her ashore. A medic within the group attempted resuscitation efforts, but she was pronounced dead at the site, as recounted by swimmer Mike Loewe to the state broadcaster SABC.

Loewe described the victim as a recently retired nuclear radiographer who was also a musician. He noted she often preferred to swim alone and was regarded as courageous by the local swimming community. Her passing has had a profound impact on those who knew her.

South Africa’s coastline is known for its population of great white sharks and shark-related tourism activities. However, fatal shark attacks remain relatively rare events both in the country and globally. The municipality’s precautionary closure of the beaches underscores ongoing concerns about swimmer safety in the area following the fatal incident.