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Every summer, as the numbers of beachgoers spike from coast to coast, so does the number of shark attacks at these locales. Though shark attacks remain relatively rare in the grand scheme of things, their dangers should not be ignored- especially at the beaches where they occur.
Florida, a state already infamous for its high prevalence of shark attacks, is already starting to see some serious trouble. A very popular Florida Gulf Coast beach destination was hit by multiple shark attacks over the past weekend, leaving locals very concerned.
The TikTok account @allthingsemeraldcoast posts daily news and updates relating to- where else- the Emerald Coast, aka the Northwest Florida coastline stretching from Pensacola Beach to Panama City Beach. But this weekend, instead of sharing scenic videos of Gulf Coast beaches, the account posted some grisly updates.
Related: Swimmers Describe Horrific Moment of Seeing Man Attacked by Shark in San Diego
"So we had two shark attacks today [June 6] on our local beaches in the 30A area , which is in Walton County, Florida," @allthingsemeraldcoast explained. She proceeded to read an update from the Walton County Sheriff's Office, which stated that the first shark attack occurred just after 1:15 pm Friday, injuring a woman in the water near Watersound Way. A second attack involving at least one teenager soon followed at around 3 pm, at another beach in South Walton County not far from the previous attack.
After the second attack, the Sheriff's Office ordered all Walton County beaches closed for swimming that day. Reportedly, Panama City Beach also began flying double-red flags and closed their beaches "out of an abundance of caution."
Three Injured, No Deaths
More details emerged over the course of the weekend, painting an even grislier picture than the one detailed in the initial reports. According to the Pensacola New Journal , the woman from the first attack lost her lower left arm and suffered "significant trauma" to other parts of her body.
Not one, but two teenage girls were injured in the second attack, and one of them had to be airlifted to a Pensacola hospital in critical condition (the other victim remained in stable condition). According to The Guardian , the airlifted victim, Lulu Gribbin , is now awake, but surgeons were forced to amputate her left hand and part of her right leg.
At this time, the exact shark (or sharks) responsible haven't been identified. However, according to the Pensacola News Journal , local police noticed a number of bull sharks swimming by the sandbar near the first attack.
Reopening Walton County Beaches
Despite the extreme nature of these attacks and their proximity in both distance and time, officials have cautiously reopened beaches in Walton County. The following day, the South Walton Fire Department announced on Facebook that they would be flying red and purple flags on Walton County beaches (purple flags denoting the presence of dangerous marine life), urging beach patrons to "swim carefully today, respect the Gulf, stay hydrated, and look out for your loved ones." As of Monday, June 10, the beaches remain open under purple flag warnings.
Even as far as shark attacks go, the events of this past Friday were shocking: three people injured, at least two of them requiring amputations, and all within just a few miles of each other. As horrific as it was, however, the voice behind All Things Emerald Coast urges people to remember how rare an event like this is.
"While today's events are, you know, obviously very alarming, it's important to remember that shark attacks are incredibly rare," she stated in Friday's video. "According to the International Shark Attack File, the chances of being bitten by a shark are about 1 in 11.5 million."
Unfortunately, luck was not on these three victims' sides. We sincerely hope that they can all come home from the hospital soon, and we hope their shared tragedy marks the last shark attack on Florida's Gulf Coast for a very long time.
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