Erika Fox, 55, was last seen swimming off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, California, on Dec. 21, with a body being recovered from the water on Saturday, Dec. 27

CAL FIRE CZU firefighters have recovered a body from the beach south of Davenport

Cal Fire at the scene of a body being recovered from the beach south of Davenport. 

A body has been recovered off the coast of a California beach, just miles north of where swimmer Erica Fox was reported missing in a suspected shark attack.

On Saturday, Dec. 27, the body was recovered from the ocean south of Davenport Beach, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release shared on Facebook.

“Due to the close proximity to the recent shark attack victim in Monterey County, our agency is working closely with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and the Pacific Grove Police Department regarding the recovery,” said the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

Cal Fire Firefighters shared several photos on Facebook of a rope system being used to recover the body from the beach to the bluffs as they assisted at the scene.

The authorities didn’t confirm the identity or gender of the person found.

On Dec. 28, Fox’s father told ABC’s Santa Cruz affiliate KSBW, per ABC News, that family members had identified the body as Fox’s based on the clothes she was wearing at the time of her disappearance.

The discovery of a body comes after a swimmer was reported missing off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, Monterey County, on Dec. 21. Pacific Grove Police later identified the missing person as 55-year-old Erica Fox in a news release shared on Instagram.

“The search, which began on Sunday, December 21 and continued Monday, December 22, was suspended after more than 15 hours of search operations covering an area of over 84 square nautical miles,” said Pacific Grove Police.

“The swimmer was identified as Erica Fox, a resident of Monterey County,” the police continued. “The City of Pacific Grove and the City Council extend their deepest and heartfelt sympathy to the family and loved ones of Erica Fox.”

CAL FIRE CZU firefighters have recovered a body from the beach south of Davenport

Body recovered from the beach south of Davenport.CAL FIRE CZU San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit Facebook

Petty Officer Christopher Sappey from the U.S. Coast Guard previously confirmed that a shark sighting had been reported at the time Fox went missing.

“The person who reported the shark sighting claimed they saw a shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth,” Sappey said, per SFGATE. “They then witnessed the shark submerge below the waterline without resurfacing.”

He added, “I can confirm that there was a reported sighting in the area, however we cannot necessarily correlate this sighting with the missing person as there is no confirming evidence of that.”

The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook that additional information will be released as it becomes available amid the ongoing investigation into the body found on the beach south of Davenport.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Cal Fire and the Pacific Grove Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Monday, Dec. 29.