Woman, 45, loses an arm and two teenagers are injured in consecutive shark attacks near US tourist attractions

THREE tourists were sent on two separate shark attacks that occurred within miles of each other – raising fears that a man-hungry shark could be on the loose.

Local authorities temporarily closed the beach on Friday while they reached out to marine experts on how to protect swimmers from another possible encounter.

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The first shark attack injured a woman around 1:15 p.m. who was in the water near Destin’s Walton Beach — a famous stretch of white sand popular with tourists looking for a swim in the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Panhandle.

“Multiple 911 callers reported that a female, approximately 45 years old, was bitten by a shark while swimming past the first sandbar near WaterSound Beach,” the South Walton Fire District wrote in a statement. declaration shared on Facebook.

“Bystanders began providing care to the woman before SWFD lifeguards and WCSO deputies arrived on scene,” they wrote, adding that the swimmer was on the beach near the intersection of Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane.

The woman “sustained serious injuries to her hip and lower left arm” and was transported by helicopter to the nearest trauma hospital in critical condition.

She reportedly lost the lower half of her left arm, according to the local news site NWFDailyNews.com.

TWO IN ONE DAY

But before authorities could finish cleaning up the site of the first bloody encounter, emergency crews were called to yet another shark attack just below the first.

At approximately 2:55 p.m., two teenage girls had another unpleasant encounter with a shark along Seacrest Beach – just four miles east of the attack that day.

The incident “involved two female patients approximately 15 years of age. According to bystanders, the individuals were in waist-deep water with a group of friends when the incident occurred,” the SWFD wrote.

Two of the children were injured, with the most seriously injured having significant injuries to her upper leg and hand that required air transport to a trauma center for treatment.

The second victim suffered a minor foot injury that also required transportation to a nearby hospital.

The double attack in just a few hours surprised local authorities and beachgoers.

BEACH CLOSED FOR INVESTIGATION

The local fire department and sheriff’s office decided to close several miles of Walton Beach and surrounding areas following the shark attacks.

“Following the incidents, beach flags were changed to double red on Friday to indicate the water was closed to swimming as a precaution,” officials wrote Friday.

Authorities have turned to shark experts to understand why the attacks may have occurred and what they can do to prevent future incidents, Walton County Sheriff Mike Atkinson said. NBC.

Marine biologists from Mote Marine in Sarasota, Florida, are investigating whether there is anything “anomalous” about the twin attacks, he said.

Authorities said they feared the two attacks could be by the same shark, which could mean a predator was prowling the coast in search of its next meal.

WATER REOPENED WITH NOTICE

On Saturday, local authorities reopened Walton Beach under a single red flag, meaning high risk, and a purple flag, meaning the presence of dangerous marine life.

We want to reiterate that sharks are always present in the Gulf. Swimmers and bathers should be cautious when swimming and be aware of their surroundings.

Walton Beach Sheriff’s Office

“The WCSOFL Beach Marine Unit is monitoring the shoreline and beaches today following yesterday’s incidents involving sharks in Walton County,” the Walton Beach Sheriff’s Department wrote in a statement. to update in X.

They warned that sharks had already been spotted in the water that day, but experts did not believe they posed a threat to swimmers.

“Officers spotted a 14-foot hammerhead shark just east of South County Highway 395 in Santa Rosa Beach this morning coming from the boat – which is NOT unusual.”

“We want to reiterate that sharks are always present in the Gulf. Swimmers and bathers should be cautious when swimming and be aware of their surroundings,” authorities warned.

Beachgoers can check Walton Beach’s current safety status by visiting the city’s website dedicated website.

SHARK ATTACKS (GENERALLY) RARE

Shark attacks around the world are incredibly rare, given that hundreds of millions of predatory fish are estimated to roam the world’s oceans.

Shark Attacks in 2023: By the Numbers

There have been 69 unprovoked shark attacks recorded worldwide in 2023.

Global distribution of unprovoked shark bites (and fatalities):

• USA 36 (2)
• Australia 15 (4)
• New Caledonia 3 (1)
• Brazil 3 (0)
• Egypt 2 (1)
• Bahamas 1 (1)
• Mexico 1 (1)
• South Africa 2 (0)
• Costa Rico 1 (0)
• Colombia 1 (0)
• New Zealand 1 (0)
• Seychelles 1 (0)
• Galapagos 1 (0)
• Turks and Caicos Islands 1 (0)
• Worldwide 69 (10)

Florida tops the list of states with the most shark attacks (and deaths)

• Florida 16 (0)
• Hawaii 8 (1)
• New York 4 (0)
• California 2 (1)
• North Carolina 3 (0)
• South Carolina 2 (0)
• New Jersey 1 (0)

SOURCE: International Shark Attack ArchiveFlorida Museum of Natural History

Some beaches tend to appear in the record books as hotspots for these deadly encounters, with the most dangerous locations being the United States.

Florida sees more shark attacks than any other place on the planet – by far.

There were 69 unprovoked shark attacks reported worldwide in 2023 – 52% came from the US, according to the International Shark Attack Archive supervised by the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Approximately 23% of all unprovoked shark attacks worldwide occurred in Florida last year, or 44% of the U.S. total, followed by Hawaii, with half the number of bites recorded.

Local firefighters noted how rare such attacks have been in the past on social media publish about the history of Walton Beach to address swimmers’ fears.

“Historical Note on Past Shark Incidents in Walton County,” WCSO began, before listing the only two incidents that have occurred in the county in the last twenty years.

“June 2005 – 14 year old Louisiana woman was on a boogie board 250 yards offshore – she was pulled in by the shark and bitten on her legs – she passed away.”

“June 2021 – 14 year old male was swimming near fishing line 40 yards offshore in Grayton State Park – bitten in chest area – survived,” they wrote.

Representatives for the city of Fort Walton Beach did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The US Sun.