Over the weekend in Seacrest, Florida, authorities patrolled the ocean by boats and warned swimmers about sharks following two separate shark attacks that occurred in the Florida Panhandle on Friday. The beaches in Walton County were temporarily closed to swimmers on Friday but were reopened on Saturday with warning flags indicating high hazards. The sheriff’s office, fire department, and state wildlife agency worked together to patrol the water with boats and the shore with vehicles in Walton County.
Red and purple flags were used to warn swimmers of the dangers, with purple flags indicating the presence of dangerous marine life and single red flags indicating high hazard conditions. Small fish traveling in schools near the shore this time of year may have been a contributing factor in the attacks, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The attacks on Friday left three individuals injured, two of which were teenage girls attacked in waist-deep water near WaterSound Beach.
The first attack occurred when a woman was bitten by a shark near WaterSound Beach, resulting in critical injuries on her midsection and arm, with part of her arm needing amputation. Less than two hours later, firefighters responded to another beach where two teenage girls were injured by a shark. One of the girls had significant injuries to the upper leg and one hand, while the other had minor injuries on one of her feet. Both attacks happened in Walton County and were described as highly unusual to occur on the same day.
The sheriff’s office and local officials emphasized the importance of being cautious while swimming in the Gulf Coast, especially during the middle of the afternoon, which is an anomaly for shark attacks. Typically, sharks are more active during their feeding times early in the morning and at dusk. Despite the rarity of shark attacks, experts note that there were 69 unprovoked bites worldwide last year, with 10 of those incidents being fatal, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File.
In addition to the incidents in Florida, a woman was seriously injured in an apparent shark attack off the island of Oahu, Hawaii on the same day. Shark attacks are considered rare by experts, with an average of six deaths per year. Authorities in both Florida and Hawaii have increased patrols and warnings to ensure the safety of swimmers and beachgoers. Further caution and awareness of marine life are advised when swimming in oceans, particularly during high-risk times and locations.
