Horror as two teens and woman, 45, are injured in back-to-back shark attacks at popular Florida hotspot – with one victim losing an arm

Floridians living around Walton Beach have been advised to stay away from the water after three people were attacked by sharks in quick succession.

According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, a 45-year-old woman was bitten by the sea creature in the water near Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane yesterday around 1:15 p.m.

She suffered “significant trauma to the midsection and pelvic area and amputation of her left forearm,” South Walton Fire District Chief Ryan Crawford said.

The victim was immediately flown by helicopter to a nearby trauma hospital in critical condition.

Around 3 p.m., officials responded to calls of another shark attack on two female teenagers, ages 15 and 17, who were four miles away from the first attack.

All three victims, who were visiting the area, were attacked while swimming near the sandbank.

‘Victim one suffered significant injuries to one lower and one upper extremity. Both [bites] required the application of tourniquets,” Crawford said.

He further confirmed that the second teenage victim had suffered flesh wounds to his foot.

While the first teenage victim was transported to a trauma center in Pensacola in critical condition, the other was taken by ambulance in stable condition.

The attacks took place within four miles of each other

All three victims, who were visiting the area, were attacked while swimming near the sandbank

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson later confirmed that both teens had a “fighting chance” because of the “continuity of care” they received from first responders.

At a press conference later in the evening, he said: ‘One of the important things to realize in these types of situations is continuity of care.

“This seamless operation between the folks at the South Walton Fire District and the deputies from Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Walton Air Rescue.

“I think that professionalism gives these two ladies a fighting chance,” he added.”

After the attacks, Walton County closed several miles of Gulf of Mexico waters and began flying double red flags to warn other beachgoers.

While the first teenage victim was transported to a trauma center in Pensacola in critical condition, the other was taken by ambulance in stable condition.

After the attacks, Walton County closed several miles of Gulf of Mexico waters and began flying double red flags.

On the same day, there were reports that another 25-year-old woman was bitten by a shark near the Hale’iwa Boat Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The victim was taken to a trauma hospital by ambulance personnel in serious condition.

A popular destination for shark tours, the harbor is located on the north shore of O’ahu, on Waialua Bay at the mouth of the Anhulu Current.

These attacks come weeks after officials named Florida as the shark bite capital of the world.

Daytona Beach in Volusia County, Florida, has had the highest concentration of unprovoked attacks worldwide, with 351 since 1837, according to the University of Florida report. International shark attack file.

Daytona Beach, Florida, has had the highest concentration of attacks, according to Florida University’s International Shark Attack File

Florida as a whole has recorded 928 since records began, followed by Hawaii with 195 and California with 138.

There were sixteen attacks in 2023 – more than anywhere else in the world.

Nationally, the US tops the list with 1,640 attacks, followed by Australia with 706.

There was a slight increase in the number of attacks last year, but they remain extremely rare and fatal or life-threatening attacks are even less common.

According to the report, there were 69 unprovoked bites worldwide in 2023, compared to the previous five-year average of 63 attacks. This means you are more likely to win the lottery than to be bitten by a shark.

The majority of attacks occurred between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when temperatures rise and more people are in the ocean.

Surfers made up 42 percent of global victims, while swimmers and waders made up another 39 percent.