3 people injured in 2 shark attacks on Florida beaches

Three people were injured in two shark attacks on two beaches in Florida – now local authorities are warning residents to be careful.

A 45-year-old woman was swimming near the first sandbar at Watersound Beach around 1:20 p.m. on Friday, June 7, when she was bitten in the abdomen, pelvis and left arm by a shark, according to a Walton County Sheriff’s Office press conference and reports from ABC News and WBRC.

She was flown by helicopter to HCA Fort Walton Beach Medical Center in critical condition and part of her left arm had to be amputated, said Ryan Crawford, chief of the South Walton Fire District.

That same day, just before 3 p.m., two teenage girls were swimming about four miles away near the first sandbar at Seacrest Beach when they were injured by a shark, Crawford added. The girls, ages 15 and 17, were taken to different area hospitals.

One victim suffered “severe injuries to an upper and lower extremity, both of which required the application of tourniquets,” Crawford said, while the other victim suffered “flesh wounds” to his right foot.

“This is an anomaly … everything from the three victims to where it’s happening,” Walton County Sheriff Michael A. Adkinson Jr. said, according to ABC News. “We know we share the water with sharks. As tragic as that is, we know there are always sharks in the water.”

The sheriff added that the most recent shark attack in the county occurred in 2021 and the last shark-related death occurred in 2005.

Adkinson Jr. added that authorities ordered the closure of all beaches in the area after the first shark attack, but those orders were not yet in effect on all beaches at the time of the second attack.

Beachgoers are advised to exercise extreme caution following the two incidents.

The South Walton Fire District (SWFD) also warned residents to exercise caution when visiting beaches in the northwest part of the county, writing in a Facebook post that there were “moderate surf hazards and the presence of dangerous marine life” on Sunday, June 9.

“We encourage all of our beachgoers to be aware in the water today, swim near a lifeguard, drink plenty of fluids and look out for each other,” firefighters wrote in the post. “Please do not underestimate the open water and the marine life that may be present there.”

CNN reported that David Vaughn, SWFD’s beach safety director, said that while officials did not know if the same shark was behind both attacks – or what species it was – it was possible that the same shark was involved in both attacks.

“Given the nature and severity of the injuries, it would be more plausible that it was the same large shark,” Vaughn told the outlet.

WBRC also reported that Panama City Beach police and the nearby Bay County Sheriff’s Office conducted an aerial search and reported large numbers of sharks in the area, including bull sharks near sandbars.

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According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, numerous species of sharks live in Florida’s waters, including blacktip reef sharks, bull sharks, nurse sharks and tiger sharks. However, attacks are still “extremely unlikely.”

The FWC recommends that beachgoers follow a number of safety measures to prevent shark attacks, including not wearing jewelry in the ocean, not allowing pets into the water, staying in groups and being cautious in murky waters, fishing areas or waters containing sewage.