Walton County officials hold press conference to discuss shark attacks

Editor’s note: Watch the press conference here.

SANTA ROSA BEACH – Walton County officials held a press conference Friday to provide additional information on two shark attacks that injured three people Friday afternoon.

“This is a tragic day for us, the victims and their families,” said Walton County Commissioner Tony Anderson. “When something like this happens, we must respond immediately.”

Here’s what we know:

A summary of the first attack | Friday, 1:20 p.m.

South Walton Fire Chief Ryan Crawford was the first to take the podium during Friday’s press conference and gave a timeline of events.

According to Crawford, Walton County Emergency Services received a call about the first shark incident near Founders Lane in Watersound Beach around 1:20 p.m. Friday.

The victim, a 45-year-old woman, was swimming with her husband behind the first sandbar when the shark attacked. She suffered significant injuries to her abdomen and pelvis and had to have her left forearm amputated.

After emergency responders arrived, the victim was taken to the Seagrove Fire Station and then flown by helicopter to HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. As of Friday 5:30 p.m., the victim was still in critical condition.

A summary of the second attack | Friday, 2:56 p.m.

The second incident was reported at 2:56 p.m. near Sandy Shores Court in Seacrest Beach, about 4 miles east of the first incident.

The two victims were girls between the ages of 15 and 17. They were with a group of friends in waist-deep water directly inside the first sandbank.

One girl suffered significant injuries to an upper and lower extremity and required tourniquets. She was transported by helicopter to Ascension Sacred Heart in Pensacola, where she remained in critical condition Friday night.

The second girl suffered lacerations to her right lower extremity and was transported by South Walton Fire District paramedics to Ascension Bay Medical Center in Panama City Beach, where her condition was listed as stable.

Information about the beach closure

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson then took the podium and explained the process of closing the beaches. Initially, the closure was limited to “a radius of a few miles” near where the first incident was reported. However, after the second attack, the decision was made to close the beaches.

Crawford also explained that the flag change along the 26-mile coastline takes up to 90 minutes.

Later Friday, neighboring Bay County also closed its beaches.

What’s next?

Walton County authorities have contacted experts at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota to investigate the attacks and determine if there is anything “unusual” about the situation.

“We want to be conscientious in what we do,” Adkinson said. “We know we share the water with sharks. We understand that, as tragic as it is, there will always be sharks in these waters. We have to be careful.”

According to Adkinson, the last fatal shark encounter in Walton County occurred in 2005 and the most recent shark incident occurred in 2021.

Related coverage:Bay County closes beaches after two shark attacks in neighboring Walton County

Related coverage:Two consecutive shark attacks injure two teenagers and an adult near a Florida beach; one victim loses an arm

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