Man seriously injured in recent shark attack in Florida

In a shark attack off the east coast of Florida on Friday, a man suffered “a severe bite on his right arm,” authorities said.

The Nassau County Sheriff’s Marine Unit was on patrol when they received a distress call from a boat around 11:15 a.m. local time. When they arrived, they found the victim with a “severe bite to the right arm” and quickly applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

“The deputy then directed the boat to the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp where the Fernandina Beach Fire Department was waiting,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post.

The victim was immediately flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital. His condition is currently critical but he is expected to recover, authorities said.

The officials did not provide any further information.

The incident comes after three people – a woman and two young girls – were injured in two separate shark attacks on Florida’s Gulf Coast earlier this month.

Local authorities warned Swimmers warn of the dangers in Florida’s waters.

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

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, shark activity in Florida waters is typically highest between April and October.

“However, shark bites remain very rare. In Florida, people are 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to be bitten by a shark,” it says. “Experts agree that the increase in shark bites in recent years is related to an increase in human visitors rather than an increase in shark population or activity.”