Woman Loses Hand, Teens Injured In 2 Separate Florida Shark Attacks
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| Credit: Walton County Sheriff's Office |
WALTON COUNTY, Florida - A woman and two teenagers were injured in two separate shark attacks on Friday in Walton County, Florida, which lies between Destin and Panama City Beach.
A 45-year-old woman was injured by a shark just after 1:15 p.m. CDT at Watersound Beach.
The Walton County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a woman being injured by a shark in the water near Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane.
The woman was then transported by South Walton Fire District to HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital in critical condition.
The woman suffered significant trauma to her midsection and her left hand was amputated.
Less than two hours later, two teenage girls were injured in a second separate shark attack 4 miles away in the area of Shoreline Drive at Seacrest Beach.
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| Credit: South Walton Fire District |
One of the girls was airlifted to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola Hospital in critical condition.
"We are encouraging beachgoers to be cognizant that lifeguards and beach deputies may be trying keep people out of the water in the immediate area," the Walton County Sheriff's Office stated.
Although the species of shark responsible for the attacks are unknown, a notable presence of bull sharks were spotted in nearby Panama City Beach.
Florida accounted for 44% of all shark attacks in the U.S. and 23% of the world’s total in 2023, according to the University of Florida International Shark Attack File (ISAF) 2023 Worldwide Shark Attack Summary.
