Christine Armstrong had been out swimming with her husband and a group of friends when she vanished without trace – until her swimming cap and goggles were washed up the next day
Christine Armstrong was a keen swimmer (Image: Channel 7)
When keen swimmer Christine Armstrong was snatched by a shark as she swam with friends, she didn’t even get chance to scream.
The huge 13ft beast silently swallowed the 63-year-old whole. Her group didn’t even notice she was gone until after they got back to shore.
The only clue to the shark’s deadly presence was the gathering of birds ducking and diving above the surface, which drew their attention to its fin slicing through the water towards them. Assuming Christine had already made it back to dry land, the rest of the group bunched together and swam cautiously to safety, hugging on the beach, relieved they survived their close encounter.
But unable to find Christine, it was only then that they realised her horrifying fate. Their fears were confirmed when her goggles and swimming cap washed up the next day with traces of human remains.
In the wake of the tragedy, Rob, her husband of 44-years accepted she had been “consumed completely” as the group gathered for their regular morning swim between Tathra Wharf and Tathra Beach more than 200 miles south of Sydney.
He said he was convinced she suffered a quick death and was certain she “would not have known what had hit her.”
“The shark was such a size and it’s consumed her basically completely – she wouldn’t have even known it happened,” he told reporters at the time.
He added that as a regular swimmer who knew the risks, his wife would not have blamed the species for the attack.
In the past the wharf was a popular fishing spot, including some hunting for sharks.
The harrowing story from 2014 was retold in a video by FIERCE and posted to YouTube earlier this week, gaining over 14,000 views in just 11 hours and attracting scores of comments.
One viewer said: “A horrible nightmare to think of being swallowed whole into the dark anatomy of a 13-foot shark. I imagine she was most likely conscious, if for only a matter of moments, when the shark swam away.”
Another added: “That’s such a horrible story. But there are chances we take when we go into the shark’s world.”
While one wrote: “What is wrong with these people they have lived in Australia there whole life. These waters are loaded with great white sharks I just don’t understand, you’re eventually going to get bit . As a young man I was fascinated by great white’s and I’ve done a lot of homework about these animals. They are fast unpredictable and extremely dangerous, and especially the past five years there has been a huge increase in white shark attacks.
“Poor Christine. I feel really bad for Christine’s family. God bless her heart.”