Authorities are employing boats to monitor the ocean and warn swimmers about sharks along Florida’s Gulf Coast this weekend after a lady and two teenage girls were injured in separate shark attacks on Friday.
The assaults off beaches in the Florida Panhandle prompted authorities to temporarily restrict numerous beaches to swimmers on Friday. Beaches reopened Saturday, with signs warning of severe danger.
“All I can say is that these incidents are very rare,” said Demian Chapman, scientist and head of the Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida.
Florida Authorities Warn Of Shark Dangers Along Gulf Coast Beaches After 3 People Are Attacked
“It’s even more rare to have two events in one day involving three people,” he told The Associated Press on Saturday. “That’s astronomically low odds of that happening.”
According to a South Walton Fire District update released Saturday, the sheriff’s office, fire department, and state wildlife agency were collaborating to patrol the lake with boats and the shore with vehicles in Walton County. Both of Friday’s attacks occurred in Walton County.
The fire department advised on social media, “Please swim carefully today, respect the Gulf, stay hydrated, and keep an eye out for your loved ones.”
On Saturday, red and purple flags were hoisted to warn swimmers of the dangers.
“Purple flags indicate the presence of dangerous marine life, and single red flags indicate high hazard conditions,” the Bay County Sheriff’s Office stated in a social media post on Saturday.
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, small fish are migrating in schools near the beach at this time of year, which could have contributed to the attacks.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office reported that the first incident occurred on Friday afternoon when a shark near WaterSound Beach bit a woman. She had significant injuries to her stomach and arm, and part of her arm had to be amputated, according to South Walton Fire Chief Ryan Crawford at a news briefing. She was rushed to a trauma center.
Less than two hours later, firefighters were sent to another beach about four miles (6.4 kilometers) east of the original assault “following multiple reports of a teenager injured by a shark,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Florida Authorities Warn Of Shark Dangers Along Gulf Coast Beaches After 3 People Are Attacked
The South Walton Fire District reported that two teenage girls were attacked while in waist-deep water with a group of friends.
“When lifeguards and deputies arrived on scene, they found one of the females had significant injuries to the upper leg and one hand,” firefighters stated in an update. She was rushed to a trauma center. According to police, the second kid sustained minor damage to one of her feet.
Mountain Brook City Manager Sam Gaston informed Al.com that the two teenagers are from Mountain Brook, Alabama, a Birmingham suburb.
It’s unclear whether Friday’s attacks were carried out by one shark or two, but according to Chapman, there are more sharks in the Gulf of Mexico than in previous years.
“There’s definitely been a recovery of sharks in the Gulf after many years of overfishing,” he stated. “They’re sort of out there again after being depleted quite a bit.”
According to Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson, the attacks took place in the middle of the afternoon, which was also unusual. He stated that sheriff’s authorities frequently urge people to be wary of sharks early in the morning and twilight, when they are most likely to feed.
On Saturday, Walton County sheriff’s deputies patrolling the waters in a boat sighted a 14-foot hammerhead shark near Santa Rosa Beach, which they described as not unusual. Sheriff’s authorities said they have no idea what type of shark attacked the swimmers on Friday.
Florida Authorities Warn Of Shark Dangers Along Gulf Coast Beaches After 3 People Are Attacked
“We want to reiterate that sharks are always present in the Gulf,” the sheriff’s office stated in a Saturday social media post. “Swimmers and beachgoers should be cautious when swimming and stay aware of their surroundings.”
Also on Friday, a lady was critically hurt in an alleged shark attack near the Hawaiian island of Oahu, according to officials.
Shark attacks are rare, according to experts. Last year, there were 69 unprovoked bites globally, 10 of which were fatal, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File. This was more than the current average of six deaths per year.
SOURCE – (AP)
