Florida fire officials urge beachgoers to remain cautious after three people injured in two separate Friday shark attacks

Raja Razek, Dalia Faheid, Amanda Musa and Sarah Dewberry, CNN

WALTON COUNTY, Florida (CNN) — Florida occurrence officials are still asking beachgoers to workout be aware Sunday aft 3 group were injured Friday successful 2 abstracted shark attacks wrong conscionable 90 minutes of each different astatine neighboring Walton County beaches.

The attacks happened astir 4 miles isolated and near 2 group successful captious information and a 3rd successful unchangeable condition, South Walton Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Crawford said successful a news convention Friday.

“We promote each of our formation patrons to beryllium situationally alert successful nan h2o today, aquatics adjacent a lifeguard, enactment hydrated, and look retired for each other,” nan South Walton Fire District said successful an update connected its Facebook page Sunday.

The station continued: “Please do not underestimate nan unfastened h2o and immoderate of nan marine life that could beryllium present.”

The section said yellowish and purple flags are being utilized Sunday to pass group of mean surf hazards and nan dangers of marine life.

Just aft 1:15 p.m. connected Friday, authorities responded to a study of a female being injured by a shark successful nan h2o adjacent Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

A 45-year-old female was “reportedly swimming conscionable past nan first sandbar pinch her husband” adjacent WaterSound Beach, Crawford said astatine nan news conference.

The female suffered important trauma to nan midsection and pelvic area, and her near little limb was amputated, according to Crawford. She was airlifted to a trauma installation for treatment.

The 2nd onslaught took spot astatine nan Sandy Shores Court area of Seacrest Beach astatine astir 2:55 p.m., 4 miles eastbound of nan first incident. Two girls astir 15 to 17 years aged were successful waist-deep h2o pinch a group of friends conscionable wrong nan first sandbar erstwhile nan incident occurred, according to nan occurrence district.

One of nan teenagers had important injuries to nan precocious limb and 1 hand, and nan different had insignificant injuries connected 1 foot, according to nan occurrence district.

On Saturday, Beach Safety Director for nan South Walton Fire District David Vaughn told CNN nan personification who suffered insignificant injuries had been discharged from nan hospital.

The different 2 onslaught victims remained hospitalized successful unchangeable condition, he said.

CNN has contacted officials for an update connected their information but has not heard back.

Vaughn added officials do not cognize for judge if nan aforesaid shark was down nan abstracted attacks aliases what type was involved.

“It would make much consciousness that pinch nan quality and severity of nan injuries, that it was nan aforesaid ample shark,” Vaughn noted.

Following nan incidents, formation flags were changed to double reddish Friday to bespeak nan h2o was closed for swimming.

The begetter of a 17-year-old woman who witnessed nan teenagers being attacked from her edifice pavilion said his girl was distraught.

“She felt helpless that she couldn’t help,” Brian Erbesfield said of his girl Hanna.

Video provided by nan family shows a shark successful breakers meters offshore arsenic beachgoers stitchery astatine nan water’s edge.

“Oh my God, Oh my God … They request to get out,” a sound said.

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said during Friday’s news conference, authorities are speaking pinch experts to spot if location is “something anomalous.”

“We don’t deliberation location is, but we surely want to beryllium diligent,” he said. “We cognize we stock nan h2o pinch sharks, we understand that arsenic tragic arsenic this is, location are ever sharks.”

The past 2 shark incidents successful nan area were reported successful 2021 and 2005, according to nan Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

During nan astir caller attack, successful June 2021, a 14-year-old boy survived aft being bitten successful nan thorax area while swimming adjacent a sportfishing statement 40 yards from nan statement successful Grayton State Park. Another onslaught was fatal – successful June 2005, a 14-year-old woman from Louisiana was connected a boogie committee 250 yards from statement erstwhile she was pulled nether by nan shark and bitten successful nan legs.

While nan consequence of being bitten by a shark is highly low, Florida tops world charts for nan number of shark bites, according to nan Florida Museum of Natural History’s yearly shark onslaught report.

In 2023, Florida had 16 unprovoked shark wound incidents reported, which represents 44% of nan United States full and 23% worldwide. Volusia County had nan astir shark bites, and nan others were reported successful Brevard, St. Lucie, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Escambia and Pinellas counties. There were nary fatalities reported past twelvemonth successful nan authorities arsenic a consequence of nan attacks.

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