Camilla Jessen
Decade-old tragedy resurfaces online, stirring renewed shock and sorrow.
What started as a routine swim along Australia’s New South Wales coast turned into a chilling mystery, one that still haunts locals and the online public over a decade later.
On April 3, 2014, 63-year-old Christine Armstrong, a well-known and experienced member of the Tathra Surf Club, set off on her usual morning swim with friends.
The group left from Tathra Wharf, heading toward Tathra Beach — a familiar 600-meter route they had swum many times before.
But Christine never made it back.
“I’ll Head Back Alone”
After swimming around 200 meters, Christine told the group she wasn’t feeling well and decided to turn back to shore alone.
It was a calm, clear morning.
Moments later, swimmers spotted a fin cutting through the water. Birds began to circle and dive, often a warning sign of a predator below. Alarmed but not panicked, the group returned to shore, assuming Christine had already reached the beach ahead of them.
She hadn’t.
A Devastating Discovery
Christine’s husband, Rob Armstrong, who had also been swimming that morning, waited onshore.
But Christine never emerged from the water.
The next day, her swim cap, goggles, and some remains washed up on the beach. Her body was never fully recovered. Authorities concluded that she had been attacked and killed almost instantly by a large shark, possibly a great white, although the species was never confirmed.
“The shark was such a size and it’s consumed her basically completely,” Rob Armstrong told Newsner reporters. “She wouldn’t have even known it happened.”
Christine and Rob had been active members of the Tathra Surf Club for 14 years.
In the days after the attack, the club released a statement honoring her legacy: “She was an experienced and committed member. Swimming brought her much joy and many friends.”
The club also supported the shocked swim group, who were described as deeply shaken by the loss.
Though the tragedy happened over ten years ago, Christine’s story has resurfaced online through YouTube documentaries and social media posts, sparking a wave of renewed sympathy and fascination.
