A newly released autopsy report concludes that Erica Fox, a 55-year-old triathlete who went missing during a group swim in Monterey Bay on December 21, 2025, dies from injuries consistent with a shark attack. Multiple outlets report that the examination identifies a single powerful bite as the primary traumatic event, with injuries described as including pelvic fractures and major blood vessel damage. The findings indicate that the damage leads to rapid loss of blood and functional impairment, culminating in drowning during the swim. Fox’s body is recovered about six days later. Friends and other acquaintances describe her as an experienced swimmer and triathlete who had a strong respect for the ocean. The reports emphasize the mechanism of death—injury from the shark bite followed by drowning—based on the autopsy’s injury assessment.