39-YO mom and activist dies after white shark attack during morning swim: "Kindest, most giving person"

A 39-year-old woman, identified as Kimon Bisogno, was mauled to death by a Great White shark early on Sunday morning, September 25, when she went out to get a quick morning swim at Sanctuary Beach in Plettenberg Bay. 

A spokesperson for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), Craig Lambinon, stated that they reacted to the incident on September 25 at 7:53 a.m. The woman's body was found around 50 feet from the coast by NSRI and South Africa Police Service (SAPS) units, The Sun reported. Lambinon said, “The sea rescue craft Eric Stratford was launched. On arrival at the scene, the body of a believed to be 39-year-old female from Cape Town was recovered from the water and brought to the beach."

An eyewitness told The Sun that "quite a few people taking an early dip as the temperature was quite warm." When they saw people running out of water and "lots of screaming," they "guessed it was a shark attack but I was quite a way away and then the lifeboat turned up." They added, "I then heard a woman had been attacked while swimming only two or three waves out so it was quite shallow but it was said nothing could be done to help her." 

Bisogno, fondly known as "Kiki", was a mother-of-one, co-owner of a pizzeria with her longtime partner Diego Milesi, and an activist who was widely praised for her work to help the needy and homeless people of Observatory, Cape Town. A founding member of the Obs Pasta Kitchen, she provided weekly handmade pasta to the homeless. It would have been five years since they started this operation this month, Times LIVE reported. Bisogno's goal was to “develop relationships with the needy and establish how we can help them, not just giving handouts but creating special bonds so ultimately there will be nobody at this pasta kitchen, it will just be a celebration of friends coming to re-meet,” quoted the organization.

She is remembered as a "beautiful soul" by her friends and acquaintances. “Kimon was the kindest, most giving, and selfless person I have ever met,” said Carlos Mesquita, CM Homeless Consultancy manager and founder of Our House and Rainbow House in Observatory, who was formerly unhoused himself. “Knowing how much she gave to the world and how many people’s lives her kindness has touched, there is such sadness in so many hearts this morning.”

Bitou Municipality Mayor David Swart assured citizens to look into the matter after having three fatalities since 2011, out of which two were in the last three months. Recently, a swimmer called Bruce Wolov was murdered by a shark at Sanctuary Beach in Plettenberg Bay. He said, "We are researching into and looking at putting up a shark barrier and increased warning signage and starting our lifeguard’s season a month earlier than usual." He said that it is a bit of a mystery since "there seems to be no change in the shark’s behavior in this area." An investigation has been launched by the SAPS and the Forensic Pathology Service. The public has also been asked to exercise caution along the coastlines of Plettenberg Bay and the Southern Cape. 

Cover Image Source: Facebook/Kimon Bisogno