A pair of shark attacks Friday in Walton County, Florida, caused three people to go to local hospitals and one woman to lose her left hand.
On Saturday, June 8, the beaches were open again and the South Walton Fire District changed the flags from double red to single red and purple, signifying dangerous water and possible dangerous marine life.
Here’s what we know about shark bites and victims:
Where did the Florida shark attacks occur in June 2024?
The shark bites occurred in Walton County in the Florida Panhandle. Both incidents occurred between Miramar Beach and Panama City Beach.
The first bite occurred around 1:20 pm on Friday, June 7. A 45-year-old woman was taken to a local hospital after swimming past the first sandbar near Founders Land in Watersound Beach, west of Seacrest Beach.
The second shark attack took place shortly before 3 p.m. near Inlet Beach, about 4 miles east of the first incident. Two teenagers, one 15 and the other 17, were taken to area hospitals. The girls were swimming with friends just inside the first sandbar.
What are victims of shark attacks in Florida like? What is your condition?
The 45-year-old woman was airlifted to HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. She is in critical condition with serious injuries, including the loss of her lower left arm.
One of the girls was taken by helicopter to Ascension Sacred Heart in Pensacola. She was in critical condition with serious injuries to her upper and lower extremities.
The other girl was taken to Ascension Bay Medical Center in Panama City Beach. She was in stable condition with superficial wounds to her right lower extremity.
Are beaches open today in Walton County, Florida after shark attacks?
Corey Dobridnia, public information officer for the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, said that as of 8:05 a.m. CT on Saturday, June 8, the South Walton Fire District was changing double red flags and reopening beaches and waters again.
“The Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife will have their boats in the Gulf to monitor the coast,” Dobridnia said. “We just ask everyone to be aware of their surroundings while they’re in the water.”
Are the beaches open today in Bay County, Florida?
Neighboring Bay County also closed its beaches on Friday after the shark attacks. The Panama City Beach and Bay County websites did not have an update Saturday morning, with Bay County listing the risk level as “extreme.”
When was the last shark attack in Walton County, Florida?
According to tracksharks.com, the incidents in Walton County are the first three shark-related incidents in Florida in 2024.
How many shark bites were there worldwide in 2023?
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File investigated 120 suspected shark-human interactions worldwide in 2023. Sixty-nine were confirmed as unprovoked shark bites to humans and 22 were provoked bites.
Breakdown of 2023 reports worldwide:
- Unprovoked bites: 69
- Bites caused: 22
- Ship Stings: 9
- Scavenger: 2 (post-mortem stings)
- Public aquariums: 1
- No assignment could be made: 1
- Not confirmed: 16
How does 2023 compare to other years when it comes to shark bites?
The 69 confirmed unprovoked cases are in line with the most recent five-year average (2018-2022) of 63 incidents per year, according to the Florida Museum.
How many fatal shark bites occurred in 2023?
There were 14 confirmed shark-related deaths this year, 10 of which were considered unprovoked. Two occurred in the US.
2023 more than doubles five-year average of fatal shark bites
The 14 shark-related deaths are higher than the five-year annual global average of six uncaused deaths per year.
Three of the unprovoked deaths were due to white shark bites on surfers in Australia.
The Florida Museum said the increase in deaths in 2023 could reflect year-to-year variation, “but could also be the consequence of increasing numbers of white sharks seen at aggregation sites near beaches that are popular with surfers ( particularly in Australia).
Top 5 places in the world where unprovoked shark bites occur
According to the International Shark Attack File, the top 5 places where unprovoked shark bites occur are:
- USA: 36, with 2 fatalities
- Australia: 15, with 4 fatal
- New Caledonia: 3, with 1 fatal
- Brazil: 3, no fatalities
- Egypt: 2, with 1 fatal
The United States recorded the highest number of unprovoked shark bites in 2023, with 36 confirmed cases. This is slightly down from the 41 incidents recorded in 2022.
Florida leads US in number of unprovoked shark bites
Florida remains the number one place for the number of shark bites.
There were 16 confirmed bites, although none were fatal, in 2023. That’s less than Florida’s historical average of 19 incidents a year.
- Florida: 16 bites, none fatal
- Hawaii: 8 bites, 1 fatal
- NY: 4 bites, none fatal
- California: 2 bites, 1 fatal
- North Carolina: 3 bites, none fatal
- South Carolina: 2 bites, none fatal
- New Jersey: 1 bite, none fatal
According to the Florida Museum, this is what people did when they were bitten by a shark:
- Surf/board sports: 42%
- Swim/wade: 39%
- Snorkeling/free diving: 13%
- Others: 6%
Florida’s east coast suffers most of the state’s shark attacks
While there have been shark bites across the state, two things stand out:
Top 10: Confirmed Unprovoked Shark Attacks in Florida from 1882 to Present
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