NEW INFORMATION: Two Central Alabama teens and woman injured in shark attacks | WDHN

WALTON COUNTY, Alabama (WDHN) – New information is coming to light in the case of three shark attacks observed on the beaches of Walton County, Florida, that left three people hospitalized Friday.

In a statement from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Tommy Ford says he spoke with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation and learned that there are a lot of baitfish near shore this time of year, which may have contributed to the attacks.

The first attack occurred at Watersound Beach. The victim was a 45-year-old woman who lost the lower part of her left hand. She is in stable condition.

The second and third attacks occurred shortly thereafter about 4 miles away near Seacrest Beach, where a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, were bitten. One of the girls suffered severe injuries to her thigh and hand, while the other girl suffered minor injuries to her foot.

“This is an anomaly,” said Walton County Sheriff Mike Adkinson Jr. “Everything, from the three victims to where it is. All we can do is react, control what we can control and mitigate what we can’t control.”

Due to Friday’s attacks, authorities were forced to temporarily close several beaches. Sheriff Adkinson Jr. said authorities ordered the beaches closed after the first attack, but the order was not implemented in time before the attack on the teens.

The beaches reopened on Saturday with purple and red flags.

Purple flags indicate the presence of dangerous marine life, and single red flags indicate high-risk conditions.

On Saturday, authorities were seen patrolling the Florida Panhandle with boats, warning swimmers about sharks this weekend.