By Marlyn Montilla
08 Jun 2024, 11:25 AM EDT
Three swimmers, including two minors, were attacked by sharks in two separate incidents while on the beaches of Walton County, Florida, on Friday, authorities said.
A 45-year-old woman was swimming along a sandbar with her husband at Watersound Beach when she was bitten by a shark at approximately 1:20 p.m., South Walton Fire District Chief Ryan told reporters. Crawford.
The unidentified victim suffered “significant trauma” to the midsection of his body and part of his left arm had to be amputated, the district chief revealed. She was taken to HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital in critical condition.
About 90 minutes after the incident, near Seacrest Beach, which was just four miles from Watersound Beach, a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl were with a group of friends near the first sandbar in waist-deep water when were bitten by a shark, according to Crawford.
One of them was bitten by a shark and suffered “significant injuries” and was taken to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola Hospital in critical condition, the district chief said.
The other victim suffered superficial injuries to the foot and was taken to Ascension Bay Medical Center in stable condition, ABC News reported.
Walton County Sheriff Michael A. Adkinson Jr. said that authorities ordered the closure of the beaches after the first accident, however, the order was not fully implemented in time before the young women were attacked.
Adkinson Jr. noted that the county’s last shark attack in the county was in 2021 and the last shark-related death was 2005.
“This is an anomaly… everything, from there being three victims to where it is,” said the sheriff. “All we can do is respond with control and mitigate what we can.”
For their part, Walton County officials contacted marine wildlife specialists at Mote Marine in Pensacola, Florida, to assist in the investigation of the incident, the sheriff reported.
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