Florida beaches open after shark attacks injure woman, 2 teens. What we know (2024)

Two teenagers and a woman were injured in two shark attacks less than two hours apart Friday afternoon in the Florida Panhandle. The woman lost her lower left arm and suffered "significant trauma" to other areas of her body, officials said at a Friday afternoon news conference.The mother of one of the teens said the girl's hand had been taken and her right leg had to be amputated.

Both incidents happened between Miramar Beach and Panama City Beach on the Gulf of Mexico.

Beaches in Walton and Bay counties were closed Friday and reopened Saturday morning, with warnings. The Walton County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife monitored the shoreline by boat through the weekend. Panama City Beach Police in the Sheriff's Office helicopter Saturday reported seeing "a notable presence of sharks, specifically bull sharks," near the first incident.

"We want to reiterate that sharks are always present in the Gulf," the WCSO said in a Facebook post. "Swimmers and beachgoers should be cautious when swimming and be aware of their surroundings at all times."

What happened in the shark attacks in Walton County, Florida?

At about 1:20 p.m. Friday, a 45-year-old woman was swimming with her husband past the first sandbar near Founders Lane in Watersound Beach, west of Seacrest Beach when she was bitten.

"She received significant trauma to the midsection and pelvic area," said South Walton Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Crawford at a press conference Friday, "as well as amputation of the left lower arm."

About an hour and a half later, just before 3 p.m., two girls aged 15 and 17 were swimming with friends and looking for sand dollars in waist-deep water near the Sandy Shores Court area of Seacrest Beach, about four miles east of the first bite. The girls were swimming just inside the first sandbar, Crawford said, in a similar proximity to the shoreline as the previous attack.

"Victim one received significant injuries to one upper and one lower extremity," Crawford said. "Victim number two received what's been described as flesh wounds to the right lower extremity."

How are the Florida shark attack victims? What are their conditions?

A teenager, Lulu Gribbin of Alabama, was treated on the scene by first responders and taken via helicopter to HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. She is in critical condition with severe injuries, including the loss of her lower left arm.

The girl's mother, Ann Blair Gribbon, said on a platform for hospital patients that the teen's left hand was bitten off and a leg had to be amputated. She'll likely need at least five more surgeries to finalize the amputations, Gribbon said, but the girl's vitals were improving by Saturday and hospital staff was able to remove her breathing tube.

"This was a first big step," Ann Gribbin wrote. "Once she was settled her first words to us were 'I made it.'

The 45-year-old woman lost a hand to the shark bite and suffered trauma to her midsection and pelvic region, officials said. She was in critical condition Friday.

Several beachgoers had medical training, Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson, and at least two were nurses. "Those folks jumped in and started rendering care and help," he said, as the deputy and South Walton crew arrived.

Adkinson said he and Crawford decided to close the beaches for a couple of miles around the first attack. But before that was put into place, the second one occurred.

The other girl was taken to Ascension Bay Medical Center in Panama City Beach. She was in stable condition with flesh wounds to her lower right extremity.

Why did a shark or sharks bite people swimming in Walton County?

The precise cause is unknown. Most of the time when a shark bites a human being, it's because it was curious about the splashing in the water or startled by a swimmer or surfer crossing its path. Some sharks may bite to protect an area, similar to a dog barking at people in his yard. Shark bites, while potentially horrific, remain rare.

Panama City Beach police reported seeing a number of bull sharks near the sandbar by the first incident. Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said in a release that, according to the FWC, "bait fish are schooling near the shore at this time of year, which may have been a contributing factor in the attacks."

Destin charter boat Capt. Gary Jarvis told The Northwest Florida Daily News that there are more sharks in the Gulf of Mexico than there have been for years.

“There are more people that swim in the water than before and there are more sharks in the water than ever before. So, the incident rate of shark bites is only going to go in one direction,” Jarvis said.

Where did the Florida shark attacks happen? Where is Watersound Beach?

Watersound Beach is a community along the coast of South Walton between Seacrest Beach and Seagrove Beach.

Where is Seacrest Beach, Florida?

Seacrest Beach is farther to the east along Highway 30-A.

Are beaches open today in Walton County, Florida, after shark attacks?

Beaches were reopened Saturday morning with single red and purple flags flying, indicating hazardous water conditions and possible dangerous marine life are present.

As of Monday morning, yellow flags are flying in Walton County, indicating moderate surf and/or currents.

Are beaches open today in Bay County, Florida?

Neighboring Bay County also closed its beaches Friday and reopened them Saturday morning with single red and purple flags flying.

As of Monday morning, Panama City Beach continues to fly these flags indicating high hazard surf conditions and dangerous marine life, which means swimming is allowed but you swim at your own risk and should use extreme caution.

How many shark attacks have there been in Florida this year?

According totrackingsharks.com, the incidents in Walton County are the first three shark-related incidents in Florida in 2024. There are usually around 100 bites reported worldwide per year, the site said.

How many shark bites were there worldwide in 2023?

The Florida Museum of Natural History’sInternational Shark Attack Fileinvestigated 120 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide in 2023.Sixty-nine were confirmed as unprovoked shark biteson humans and 22 were found to be provoked bites.

Breakdown of 2023 reports around the world:

• Unprovoked bites: 69
• Provoked bites: 22
• Boat bites: 9
• Scavenge: 2 (post-mortem bites)
• Public Aquaria: 1
• No assignment could be made: 1
• Not confirmed: 16

Florida remains shark bite capital of the US

Florida continues to be the No. 1 location for the number of shark bites.

There were 16 bites — although none were fatal — confirmed in 2023. That's lower than Florida's historic average of 19 incidents a year.

• Florida:16 bites, none fatal
• Hawaii:8 bites, 1 fatal
• New York:4 bites, none fatal
• California:2 bites, 1 fatal
• North Carolina:3 bites, none fatal
• South Carolina:2 bites, none fatal
• New Jersey:1 bite, none fatal

Top 10: Confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in Florida from 1882 to present

1. Volusia County: 351
2. Brevard County: 158
3. Palm Beach County: 83
4. St. Johns County: 45
5. Duval County:46
6. Martin County: 41
7. St. Lucie County: 39
8. Indian River County: 22
9. Monroe County: 21
10. Miami-Dade County: 20

How do I avoid shark bites?

• Swim with a buddy. Most sharks are more likely to approach a solitary person.
• Stay close to shore.
• Be careful around the area between sandbars or near steep dropoffs, both popular shark hangouts.
• Stay out of the water at dawn or dusk when sharks are more active and feeding.
• Avoid shiny jewelry or reflective swimwear that might resemble the sheen of fish scales.
• Avoid areas where people are fishing or areas with known effluents or sewage. Stay away from areas with diving seabirds.
• Be careful in murky water. Some shark species may not see you very well either, and there can be confusion.
• Try not to splash too much, especially in a single spot. Sharks may investigate to see if you are a fish in distress.
• If a shark is spotted, slowly and calmly get out of the water.