Horror as two teens and woman, 45, are injured in back-to-back shark attacks at popular Florida hotspot - with one victim losing an arm
Floridians living around Walton Beach have been advised to stay away from the water after three people were attacked by sharks one right after another.
According to the Walton County Sheriff's Office, a 45-year-old woman was bit by the marine animal in the water near Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane at around 1.15pm yesterday.
She sustained 'significant trauma to the midsection and pelvic area and amputation of her left lower arm,' according to South Walton Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Crawford.
The victim immediately flown to a nearby trauma hospital by a helicopter in critical condition.
A 45-year-old woman was bit by the marine animal in the water near Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane at around 1.15pm yesterday
At around 3pm, officials responded to calls of another shark attack on two female teenagers, 15 and 17 years old that occurred four miles away from the first attack.
All three of the victims, who were visiting the area, were attacked while they were swimming near the sandbar.
'Victim one received significant injuries to one lower and one upper extremity. Both [bites] required the application of tourniquets,' Crawford said.
He further confirmed that the second teen victim suffered flesh wounds on a foot.
While the first teen victim was airlifted to a trauma center in Pensacola in critical condition, the other was taken by ambulance in stable condition.
The attacks took place within four miles of each other
All three of the victims, who were visiting the area, were attacked while they were 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 by first responders.
In a press conference held later in the evening, he said: 'One of the important things to realize in these types of situations is the continuity of care.
'This seamless operation between the folks at South Walton Fire District and the deputies at Walton County Sheriffs Office and Walton Air Rescue.
'I think these two ladies have a fighting chance because of that professionalism," he added.'
After the attacks, Walton County closed several miles of the Gulf of Mexico waters and began waving double red flags to warn other beachgoers.
While the first teen victim was airlifted to a trauma center in Pensacola in critical condition, the other was taken by ambulance in stable condition
After the attacks, Walton County closed several miles of Gulf of Mexico waters and began waving double red flags.
On the same day, there were reports of another 25-year-old female being 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 the north shore of O'ahu, on Waialua Bay at the mouth of Anahulu Stream.
These attacks come weeks after officials named Florida as the shark bite capital of the world.
Daytona Beach in Volusia County, Florida, has had the highest concentration of unprovoked attacks globally with 351 since 1837, according to Florida University's International Shark Attack File.
Daytona Beach in Florida has had the highest concentration of attacks anywhere according Florida University'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.
On the country-wide level, the US tops the list with 1,640 attacks, followed by Australia with 706.
There was a slight uptick in the number of attacks last year, but they remain extremely rare and fatal or life-threatening attacks are even less common.
There were 69 unprovoked bites in 2023 globally, according to the report, compared to the previous five-year average of 63 attacks - meaning you are more likely to win the lottery than to get bitten by a shark.
The majority of the attacks happened between Memorial Day and Labor Day when the temperature rises and more people are in the ocean.
Surfers made up 42 percent of the global victims, with swimmers and waders making up another 39 percent.
