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Shark attacks girl, same day woman loses arm in Florida waters

Theo

Jen MillsPublished June 10, 2024, 4:31 p.m.|Updated June 10, 2024, 4:53 p.m.
The teenagers were attacked by a shark in shallow water the same day another woman lost her arm (Image: Walton County Sheriff’s Office/Getty Images)

Beaches had to be closed and boats sent out to warn swimmers after a shark bit off a woman’s arm on the same day that two girls were attacked.

The three people were injured in Florida on Friday, the first victim was seriously injured.

The fact that there were so many attacks within just an hour and a half was “highly unusual,” the authorities said.

The first attack occurred near WaterSound Beach in Walton County on the state’s Gulf Coast.

A woman suffered severe injuries to her abdomen and arm and part of her arm had to be amputated, South Walton Fire Department Chief Ryan Crawford said at a press conference.

Less than two hours later, there were “multiple reports of a teenager injured by a shark” four miles east of the first attack, the sheriff’s office said.

Two girls, aged around 15, were in waist-deep water with a group of friends when they were attacked.

Chief Ryan Crawford of the Walton County Sheriff's Office provides an update on the attacks
Chief Ryan Crawford of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office gives an update on the attacks (Image: WCSOFL/X)

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A police car patrols the beach in Walton County
Patrols are on the beaches warning of the danger (Image: WCSOFL/X)
The Sheriff's Beach Marine Unit boat also monitors the coast
The Sheriff’s Office Beach Marine Unit boat is also monitoring the coast (Image: WCSOFL/X)
Walton County Sheriff's Office Beach Marine Unit boat
It is unusual for three seizures to occur so quickly one after the other and in the middle of the day (Image: WCSOFL/X)

In an update, fire officials said: “When lifeguards and deputies arrived on scene, they found that one of the women had significant injuries to her thigh and hand.”

According to officials, the other teenager suffered minor injuries to her foot.

The beaches reopened on Saturday, but red and purple flags warned of great dangers.

The South Walton Fire District said: “Please swim carefully today, respect the Gulf, drink plenty of fluids and take care of your loved ones.”

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post Saturday: “Purple flags indicate the presence of dangerous marine life and single red flags indicate a high danger level.”

At this time of year, small fish are found in schools near the coast, which may have contributed to the attacks, they added.

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said that in addition to the series of attacks, the timing in the middle of the afternoon was an anomaly.

He noted that officials often warn people to watch for sharks in the early morning and at dusk, which are typical feeding times.

Outside Florida, a woman was seriously injured in a suspected shark attack in waters off the Hawaiian island of Oahu, officials said.

According to experts, shark attacks are rare. According to the International Shark Attack File of the University of Florida, there were 69 unprovoked bites worldwide last year, ten of which were fatal.

That was more than the recent average of six deaths per year.

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