The woman, named as Chris Armstrong, was a member of the Tathra Surf Life Saving Club and was doing her regular morning swim with other club members, including her husband, when she went missing.
Emergency services said she was killed swimming between the popular Tathra Wharf and Tathra Beach about 8.20am on Thursday after she’d turned back and been separated from the group.
Efforts to find her body are ongoing.
Bega District News claims witnesses saw a three to four metre shark close to the surface.
“Chris was very loved by many people. She has been swimming at Tathra Beach for 14 years and was an experienced and committed member of the surf club,” her family said in a statement. “She was a senior surf club trainer for many years and swimming brought her much joy and many friends. She will be sadly missed by all who loved her, especially by Rob, her husband of 44 years.”
Tathra is a safe family beach and there appears to be no history of other shark attacks.
It’s likely that the shark was a Great White.
In a separate incident, a diver missing off the coast south of Perth may have been killed by a shark after human remains were discover with possible bite marks.
Image via Thinkstock
