Sharks attack three swimmers off Florida beaches

Beachgoers on Florida’s Gulf Coast have been urged to be vigilant after three swimmers were attacked by sharks in two separate attacks.

A woman is said to have to have part of her arm amputated after she was bitten in Walton County in northwest Florida on Friday.

Less than two hours later, on another beach, six kilometers to the east, two teenagers and friends were attacked in waist-deep water.

One of the girls suffered “serious injuries to her thigh and hand,” while the other suffered minor injuries to her foot, fire officials said.

Authorities patrolled the coast with boats and some beaches were closed, but reopened on Saturday under purple flags warning of dangerous marine life.

The first incident occurred around 1:20 p.m. local time on Friday, when a woman around 45 years old was attacked near WaterSound Beach, the South Walton Fire District said.

She suffered “serious injuries” to her hip and left forearm and was flown to hospital by helicopter, fire officials said.

Part of her arm had to be amputated, fire chief Ryan Crawford later said in a press conference, according to the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.

The second attack – on two girls around 15 years old – occurred around 2:55 p.m. local time near Seacrest Beach, the fire department added.

“Please swim carefully, respect the Gulf, stay hydrated and take care of your loved ones,” the South Walton Fire District said on X.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office announced on X on Saturday that officers had spotted a 14-foot-long hammerhead shark while patrolling Santa Rosa Beach – but stressed that these were “nothing unusual.”

“We would like to reiterate that there are always sharks in the Gulf,” they said.

“Swimmers and beachgoers should exercise caution while swimming and be aware of their surroundings.”

According to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File, there are about 70 to 100 shark attacks worldwide each year, resulting in about five fatalities.

According to ISAF, there were 69 unprovoked and 22 provoked shark bites on humans worldwide last year.

In Florida, most shark attacks are carried out by requiem sharks, a family of sharks that love warm seas and include bull sharks and blacktip reef sharks, for example.

Most attacks occur near the shore, typically near a sandbar where sharks forage for food and can be caught at low tide.

At this time of year, small fish are found in schools near the shore, which may have contributed to Friday’s attacks, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office suspects.

The timing of the attacks – mid-afternoon – was also an anomaly, said Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson, according to CBS News.