Travel warning issued for popular beach vacation spot after 3 people are attacked in 1 day

Florida authorities are warning people to exercise caution among Florida’s Gulf Coast beaches after three people were injured in two separate shark attacks on Friday.

The attacks, which took place off beaches in Florida’s Panhandle four miles apart, led authorities to temporarily shut down beaches on Friday. The beaches were reopened Saturday with flags warning swimmers to exercise caution.

“We encourage all of our beach patrons to be situationally aware in the water today, swim near a lifeguard, stay hydrated, and look out for each other,” the South Walton Fire District announced on its Facebook page Sunday.

Authorities said the first attack occurred just after 1:15 p.m. EDT on Friday, when one woman was attacked by a shark while swimming in the water near Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane.

She suffered injuries to her midsection and pelvic area, and also had to have a part of her arm amputated, according to CNN.

The second attack took place at Seacrest Beach at around 2:55 p.m. EDT, four miles away from the first incident, where a shark injured two teenage girls in waist-deep water.

One girl suffered injuries to her upper leg and one hand, and the other suffered minor injuries on one foot, CNN reported.

Authorities are unsure whether or not it was the same shark that attacked these individuals or what species of shark carried out the attacks.

However, marine experts have said these types of attacks are “very rare.”

Demian Chapman, a scientist and director of the Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida, told The Associated Press that “it’s even more rare to have two events in one day involving three people.”

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.