Authorities On Watch After Back-To-Back Shark Attacks In Florida Lead To Two People Losing Limbs

Authorities remain vigilant of the Florida coast after two shark attacks left three swimmers injured, two of whom lost their limbs. On Friday, a 45-year-old woman was attacked at a beach in Watersound. The injuries led to the woman’s left arm being amputated and left “significant trauma” to her abdomen.

Four miles up the coast, a 15 and 17-year-old girl were attacked while swimming in waist-deep water in Fort Walton. One of the teens was bit on the hand and leg, causing her to lose these appendages. The other teen sustained minor wounds to her foot.

According to the International Wildlife Museum, shark attacks are deemed “exceedingly rare,” with a statistic of one in 3.75 million. The Florida Museum of National History reported 91 shark attacks worldwide in 2023, 69 unprovoked and 22 provoked.

The two shark attacks on Friday have raised alarming concern for Florida beachgoers and citizens. Authorities say shark attacks may increase with more people heading to beaches for the summer. The growing activity in the water could attract sharks, as swimming locations are also the natural feeding spots for the marine creatures.

Authorities ensure that the percentage increase in attacks is no cause for high concern. “This is an anomaly . . . everything from it being three victims to where it’s at,” said Walton County Sheriff Michael A. Adkinson Jr. said in a Facebook post. “All we can do is respond, control, and mitigate what we can.”

In his exclusive uInterview last year, Discover’s Shark Week host Dr. Austin Gallagher explains important information about what a person should do if they encounter a shark in the water. 

He advised that if you come across a shark while you are swimming, you should try to assert your dominance rather than swim away from the shark. 

“Standing your ground and making eye contact with, you know, the big predatory sharks like tigers and whites usually is what you need to do,” he stated. “In order to, you know, kind of assert your dominance.”