Johannesburg: A 65-year-old woman was killed in a shark attack off South Africa's south-eastern coast on Tuesday, prompting authorities to close two beaches until further notice.

Police were called to Orient Beach in KuGompo, formerly known as East London, at around 7 am, where the woman's body was found, Eastern Cape police spokesperson Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa told The Associated Press. An inquest has been opened into the death.

Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality spokesperson Luzuko Buku confirmed the fatal attack in a statement, expressing sadness over the death of the swimmer.

Members of an open-water swimming group responded after the woman signalled that she was in distress and brought her ashore, fellow swimmer Mike Loewe told South African state broadcaster SABC.

A medic from the group attempted to resuscitate her, but she was declared dead at the scene, Loewe said.

Describing the woman as a regular swimmer, Loewe said she preferred swimming alone and was also a recently retired nuclear radiographer and musician. Her death has devastated the local swimming community, he added.

Following the incident, the municipality closed Orient Beach and nearby Eastern Beach until further notice. Authorities also issued warnings for other local beaches and urged visitors to follow safety advisories and instructions.

Shark attacks remain rare in South Africa

South Africa is known for its great white sharks and shark tourism, but attacks on humans are uncommon.

According to the International Shark Attack File maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History, South Africa recorded 29 unprovoked shark bites between 2012 and 2021, an average of about three a year. Six of those incidents were fatal.