A popular Florida hot spot shut down after back-to-back shark attacks just 90 minutes apart on neighboring beaches in the area. The incidents happened miles apart.
"We experienced two separate incidents earlier this afternoon in relative proximity to one another, about four miles apart and within an hour and a half from one another," South Walton Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Crawford said.
In total, three people got injured in two shark attacks. The incident happened in Walton County. As a result of the attacks, three people are hospitalized with two in critical condition.
Crawford said a 45-year-old woman was "reportedly swimming just past the first sandbar with her husband" when a shark attacked her. She experienced bites to her torso and pelvic area. She also had her left arm amputated as a result of the attack. Her injuries were so bad that she needed to be airlifted to a local hospital.
Beaches Closed After Shark Attack
Meanwhile, the second attack happened at Sandy Shores Court area of Seacrest Beach just a hour and a half later. A shark attacked two teenage girls who were waist deep in the water with their group of friends. The shark bit one girl in the upper leg and the other in the foot. Beach flags are now double red, meaning closed for swimming.
"Double red flags are now flying on the beaches in the surrounding area. The Gulf is now closed to the public in Walton County in the localized area of the incident," the sheriff's office said in its post at the time. "We are encouraging beachgoers to be cognizant that lifeguards and beach deputies may be trying keep people out of the water in the immediate area."
Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said they are speaking with shark experts.
"We don't think there is, but we certainly want to be diligent," he said. "We know we share the water with sharks, we understand that as tragic as this is, there are always sharks." It's the first attacks since 2021. That year, a 14-year-old boy suffered injuries to his chest while swimming near a fishing line.
However, Florida is consider the shark attack capital of the world for a reason.
