Shark Attacks Strike Swimmers at Florida Beaches: ‘Tragic Day’

Two separate shark attacks rocked Florida’s Walton County waters on Friday, prompting officials to close access to the ocean.

South Walton Fire District Chief Ryan Crawford spoke during a news conference on Friday addressing the “series of shark bites,” noting the two assaults were “in relative proximity to one another.”

The Context

The attacks caused “devastating” injuries, according to Crawford. These kinds of incidents are “highly unusual,” Crawford continued, and “extremely unusual” for two to strike on the same day so close to each other.

What We Know

The first attack struck around 1:20 p.m. near Founders Lane in Watersound Beach, Crawford said. The victim was a 45-year-old woman swimming with her husband, suffering “significant trauma” to her midsection and amputation of her lower left arm. Crawford said she was in critical condition.

The second shark assault occurred around 2:56 p.m. near Seacrest Beach, roughly four miles east of the first attack. The victims were girls, ages 15 to 17, Crawford said, and were swimming in waist-deep water. One sustained “significant” injuries to her upper and lower extremities and was transported to a trauma hospital in critical condition. The other suffered flesh wounds to the right side her lower extremity, Crawford said, and is listed in stable condition.

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said the decision was made on Friday to close waters within a “couple mile radius” of the attack sites.

County officials are also speaking with experts to determine if atypical circumstances triggered the attacks.

Views

This is a “tragic day,” Chairman of Walton County Commissioners Tony Anderson said during a news conference. “When something like this happens, we have to jump on it immediately,” Anderson added, thanking Crawford and Adkinson for “fastly [sic] handling this situation.” He also noted that he backed the call to close the waters.

What’s Next

Adkinson said during the news conference that the victims “have a fighting chance” due to the liaison between officials and citizens at the scenes.

The type of shark involved in the attacks was not immediately known, Crawford said. It is also immediately unknown to Newsweek if the same shark committed both assaults.

Newsweek has reached out to the South Walton Fire District via email Friday night for additional comment.