Three people were injured in two shark attacks off neighboring Florida beaches 90 minutes apart

(CNN) — Officials say three people were injured in two shark attacks within 90 minutes of each other on a neighboring beach in Walton County, Florida this Friday.

The attacks happened about 6 miles apart, and two people are in critical condition and a third is in stable condition, South Walton Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Crawford said at a joint news conference Friday.

Just after 1:15 p.m., officers responded to a report of a woman injured by a shark in the water near Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane. Walton County Sheriff’s Office .

A 45-year-old woman was “swimming past the first sandbar with her husband” near Watersound Beach, Crawford told a news conference.

The woman, who is in critical condition, suffered significant trauma to her midsection and pelvis and her left forearm was amputated, Crawford says. The woman was taken to a local trauma center for treatment.

The second attack took place in the Sandy Shores Court area of ​​Seacrest Beach at approximately 2:55 p.m., about 6 kilometers east of the first incident. According to the fire district, two girls, approximately 15 to 17 years old, were in waist-deep water with a group of friends inside the first sandbar when the incident occurred.

One of the teenagers had significant injuries to his upper leg and arm, while the other had minor injuries to his leg, according to the fire district.

Following the incidents, beach flags were changed to double red this Friday to indicate the waters are closed to swimming.

“Double red flags are now flying on the surrounding beaches. The bay is now closed to the public in Walton County in the localized area of ​​the incident,” the sheriff’s office said in a post at the time. “We encourage beachgoers to be aware that lifeguards and beach agents may attempt to remove people from the water in the immediate area.”

Walton County Sheriff’s Office Michael Atkinson said during a news conference that authorities are talking to experts to see if there is “something out of the ordinary.”

“We don’t think there is, but we certainly want to be diligent,” he said. “We know we share the water with sharks, and we understand that no matter how sad it is, there are always sharks.”

According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the last two reported shark incidents in the area were in 2021 and 2005.

In the most recent attack, in June 2021, a 14-year-old boy survived being bitten in the chest while swimming near a fishing line about 40 yards from shore at Grayton State Park. Another attack was fatal: In June 2005, a 14-year-old girl from Louisiana was on a boogie board 250 meters from shore when the shark dragged her and bit her on the legs.

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s annual shark attack report, while the risk of shark bites is very low, Florida ranks first globally for the number of shark bites.

In 2023, 16 unprovoked shark bite incidents were reported in Florida, accounting for 44% of the US total and 23% worldwide. Volusia County had the most shark bites, with others reported in Brevard, St. Lucie, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Escambia and Pinellas counties. Last year, there were no casualties in the attacks in the state.