Florida: Woman undergoes amputation, one of three injured in shark attack | US News

People swimming off Florida’s Gulf Coast are being urged to beware of sharks after two separate attacks in Walton County left three people injured.

A woman who was bitten near Watersound Beach Friday afternoon suffered serious injuries to her abdomen and arm, South Walton Fire Chief Ryan Crawford said.

Part of her arm had to be amputated, he added.

Less than two hours later, firefighters were called to another beach about six kilometers east of the first attack.

Two teenagers were in waist-deep water with a group of friends when they were attacked, the South Walton Fire District said.

One of them suffered “significant injuries to his thigh and hand.”

“It is highly unusual for two of these incidents to occur on the same day,” Crawford said.

The timing of the attacks – mid-afternoon – was also unusual, said Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson.

Police, fire department and the state wildlife authority patrol the water.

A 14-foot-long hammerhead shark was spotted off Santa Rosa Beach on Saturday, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said.

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This is “not unusual,” it said. And: “We would like to stress again that there are always sharks in the Gulf. Swimmers and beachgoers should be cautious when swimming and be aware of their surroundings.”

At this time of year, small fish are found in schools near the shore, which may be contributing to the attacks, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said.

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Red and purple flags are used to warn swimmers.

“Purple flags indicate the presence of dangerous marine life and single red flags indicate high hazard conditions,” the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said.

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