Sheriff's office closes Florida beach after shark attacks

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Three people were injured in shark attacks reported Friday afternoon, the Walton County Sheriff's Office announced during a news conference.

Just after 1:15 p.m., Walton County Fire and Rescue and the South Walton Fire District (SWFD) responded to a report of a 45-year-old woman bitten by a shark near Watersound Way and Coopersmith. It was reported that the woman lost her left hand in the attack.

Around 3 p.m., WCSO and SWFD responded to a second “shark incident” involving two girls ages 15 to 17 in the area of ​​Shoreline Drive.

One victim has injuries to his upper and lower limbs and is in critical condition. The other victim had bodily injuries to his right foot and is in stable condition.

“These are life-threatening, life-changing injuries,” Walton County Sheriff Mike Atkins said.

“It’s an anomaly,” Walton County Fire Chief Ryan Crawford said. “It’s very unusual for something like this to happen.”

According to WCSO, water is now closed to the public in Walton County, Bay County and surrounding beaches with double red flags in the area. Lifeguards and beach attendants will patrol the area to prevent people from entering the ocean.