Floridians living around Walton Beach have been advised to stay out of the water after three people were attacked by sharks, one after another.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, a 45-year-old woman was bitten by the marine animal in the water near Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane around 1:15 p.m. yesterday.
He suffered “significant trauma to his midsection and pelvic area and amputation of his left forearm,” according to South Walton Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Crawford.
The victim was immediately airlifted by helicopter to a nearby trauma hospital in critical condition.
A 45-year-old woman was bitten by a marine animal in the water near Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane at around 1.15pm yesterday.
Around 3 p.m., officials responded to calls of another shark attack on two teenagers, ages 15 and 17, that occurred four miles away from the first attack.
The three victims, who were visiting the area, were attacked while swimming near the sandbar.
‘The first victim received significant injuries to one lower extremity and one upper extremity. ‘Both (bites) required the application of tourniquets,’ Crawford said.
He also confirmed that the second teenage victim suffered superficial injuries to his foot.
While the first teenage victim was airlifted to a trauma center in Pensacola in critical condition, the other was airlifted by ambulance in stable condition.
The attacks took place four miles apart.
The three victims, who were visiting the area, were attacked while swimming near the sandbar.
Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson later confirmed that both teens had a “fighting chance” due to the “continuity of care” they were receiving from first responders.
At a press conference later that evening, he said: ‘One of the important things to keep in mind in these types of situations is continuity of care.
‘This seamless operation between the people of the South Walton Fire District and deputies from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Walton Air Rescue.
“I think these two women have a chance to fight thanks to their professionalism,” he added.
After the attacks, Walton County closed several miles of Gulf of Mexico waters and began flying double red flags to warn other beachgoers.
While the first teenage victim was airlifted to a trauma center in Pensacola in critical condition, the other was airlifted by ambulance in stable condition.
After the attacks, Walton County closed several miles of Gulf of Mexico waters and began flying double red flags.
On the same day, there were reports that another 25-year-old woman was bitten by a shark near the Hale’iwa Boat Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The victim was taken to a trauma hospital by paramedics in serious condition.
A popular destination for shark tours, the harbor is located on O’ahu’s north shore in Waialua Bay at the mouth of Anahulu Creek.
These attacks come weeks after officials named Florida the shark bite capital of the world.
Daytona Beach, in Volusia County, Florida, has had the highest concentration of unprovoked attacks in the world with 351 since 1837, according to the University of Florida report. International Shark Attack File.
Daytona Beach in Florida has had the highest concentration of attacks according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File.
Florida as a whole has had 928 since records began, followed by Hawaii with 195 and California with 138.
In 2023 there were 16 attacks, more than anywhere else in the world.
Nationally, the United States tops the list with 1,640 attacks, followed by Australia with 706.
There was a slight increase in the number of attacks last year, but they remain extremely rare and fatal or life-threatening attacks are even less common.
According to the report, there were 69 unprovoked bites in 2023 worldwide, compared to the average of 63 attacks over the previous five years, meaning you are more likely to win the lottery than being bitten by a shark.
Most of the attacks occurred between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when temperatures rise and more people are in the ocean.
Surfers accounted for 42 percent of global victims, and swimmers and waders accounted for another 39 percent.
