A woman was attacked by a shark on Friday afternoon while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico near Watersound Beach in Walton County, Florida. The victim, a woman in her 40s, sustained critical injuries on her midsection and left arm, according to South Walton Fire Chief Ryan Crawford. She was transported to a local trauma center where part of her arm had to be amputated. The attack occurred around 1:20pm.

Less than two hours later, two teenage girls were waist-deep in the water near Seacrest Beach, only about four miles east of the first incident, when a shark attacked them. One girl suffered “significant injuries to the upper leg and one hand” and was taken to a trauma center. The other girl had minor injuries on her foot and was taken to a hospital, according to officials.

Two shark attacks on the same day and so geographically close together are extremely rare.

“This kind of incident can happen today, and then it might not happen for 20 or 30 years,” Chief Crawford said at a news conference Friday. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said two shark strikes had been reported in the county between 2005 and 2023.

Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s shark research program, told The Washington Post that the presence of menhaden fish probably led to the strikes.
Sharks chased and ate the small fish as dozens swam near the shore Friday, Naylor said, and some beachgoers who were enjoying the water happened to be in their way.
“It’s only when the sharks are feeding in waters where people are … that there’s even the remotest chance that it happens,” Naylor said.

Red and purple flags are being used to warn swimmers in the vicinity of the attacks. 

“Purple flags indicate the presence of dangerous marine life and single red flags indicate high hazard conditions,” officials said.

There were 69 unprovoked shark bites last year worldwide, and 10 of those were fatal, according to the University of Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File.

3 people injured in 2 shark attacks at neighboring Florida beaches

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.