Cape Town woman dies in Plettenberg Bay shark attack

Beaches in Plettenberg Bay have been closed after a 39-year-old woman died after being attacked by a shark at Central Beach on Sunday morning.

National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon confirmed they responded to the incident at 07:53am.

This is the second fatal shark attack in Plettenberg Bay in three months.

Lambinon said the NSRI recovered the body of the woman from the water and brought it back to the beach.

“We believe that the 39-year-old Cape Town female was swimming when she was sadly, fatally bitten by a shark,” said Lambinon.

It is believed the woman was with her husband and child when she was attacked by the shark.

Following the shark attack, the Bitou municipality and the NSRI have warned people to be cautious when walking along the Plettenberg Bay and southern Cape coastline.

The NSRI said the woman’s family are being offered psychological support by counsellors.

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Lambinon said Plettenberg Bay is known for having an increased shark presence at this time of the year.

“Especially at this time of the year when they are feeding, in shore, so normal predatory behavior. Warnings are regularly put out by the Bitou municipality.”

June fatal shark attack

Another fatal shark attack incident occurred on 28 June at Sanctuary Beach in the same area. The beaches were closed after the incident.

“On arrival on the scene the body of an adult male, believed to be a local man, was located and recovered from the water, at the back surf line, onto an NSRI rescue craft. The body was brought to the NSRI Plettenberg Bay rescue station,” said Lambinon.

Sadly the man had sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead on scene by the Western Cape Emergency Medical Services.

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