Shark Attack Warning Issued by Florida Authorities After 3 Injured
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Authorities have ramped up patrols along Florida’s Gulf Coast following two separate shark attacks involving a woman and two teenage girls. The attacks prompted temporary beach closures on Friday, with flags indicating high hazards upon reopening on Saturday. Shark researcher, Demian Chapman, says the attacks are very unusual as shark incidents are generally rare, with an estimated 69 unprovoked bites reported last year globally, 10 of which were fatal.
Shark Attacks in Florida Prompt Urgent Warnings and Increased Patrols
Following two separate shark attacks on Friday, authorities are patrolling the Gulf Coast of Florida, issuing warnings to swimmers and beachgoers. The attacks, which injured a woman and two teenage girls in the Florida Panhandle, led to a temporary closure of several beaches.
Scientist and director of the Center for Shark Research, Demian Chapman, said, “These incidents are very rare. It’s even more rare to have two events in one day involving three people.”
The Walton County Sheriff’s office, fire department, and the state’s wildlife agency are working together to patrol the water and shorelines around Walton County, where both attacks occurred.
The fire department popularized the message, “Please swim carefully today, respect the Gulf, stay hydrated, and look out for your loved ones,” on social media. A warning has been raised via red and purple flags indicating high hazard conditions and dangerous marine life presence.
Authorities suggest that the presence of school of small fish near the shore might have contributed to the attacks. The victims were critically injured and have been flown to a trauma center. The teenagers are from Mountain Brook, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham.
Although uncertain if one or two sharks were involved in the attacks, Chapman noted there has been a recovery of sharks in the Gulf after years of overfishing. He said, “They’re sort of out there again after being depleted quite a bit.”
Sheriff’s officials spotted a 14-foot hammerhead shark near Santa Rosa Beach on Saturday but clarified that it was not unusual. They warn that sharks are always present in the Gulf and advise swimmers to remain cautious and aware of their surroundings.
Meanwhile, a woman was seriously injured in an apparent shark attack off the island of Oahu, Hawaii on Friday. According to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File, shark attacks are rare, with 69 unprovoked bites and 10 fatalities reported worldwide last year. This was higher than the recent average of six deaths per year.
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