A shark killed a woman as she made her regular morning swim with her husband and several friends off a popular beach resort, Australian police said Thursday.
Christine Armstrong, 63, was dragged by the creature around 8:30 a.m. local time (5:30 p.m. ET Wednesday) at Tathra Beach, about 260 miles south of Sydney on the country's east coast.
“A shark was seen by numerous people in the water, including the swimmers this lady was with and some people who were up on the rocks,” Police Inspector Jason Edmunds told reporters. "We have a number of witnesses who saw the incident occur so it is fairly safe to say that a shark has taken her."
Witnesses told Australia’s 7 News that Armstrong turned away from the group and appeared to be making her way toward a historic pier.
When the group realized she missing, they turned back to find she was gone.
Partial human remains had been found, Australia's ABC News reported.
“Chris was very loved by many people,” Armstrong’s family said in a statement. “She has been swimming at Tathra Beach for 14 years and was an experienced and committed member of the surf club. Swimming brought her much joy and many friends. She will be sadly missed by all who loved her.”
