Three people are continuing to heal after being injured Friday in two separate shark attacks along Florida's Gulf Coast.The attacks happened just four miles and 90 minutes apart. The second attack happened to two teens. The mother of Lulu Gribbin has been sharing her story on Caring Bridge to shed light on what happened and the recovery process."After lunch we were walking back on the beach to the girls and everyone on the beach was standing looking out into the water," Anne Blair Gribbin wrote. "No one was in the water and all we heard was there was a shark and we started to look as well. My friend called both her daughters and they were not answering so she started to panic and said there is something wrong and started running and so we all did. The beach was packed with people just looking. I came up on a group of people surrounding someone on the ground and looked down and it was Lulu who was there."Lulu Gribbin was in surgery when the family made it to the hospital, and her mother stated that they were told her hand had been bitten off, her leg had been amputated and she lost 2/3 of the blood in her body.Her first words out of surgery, her mother said, were, "I made it."There were several people who helped save her life, Anne Gribbin said."Lulu said a man grabbed her other arm and pulled her out and another younger boy helped him carry her to shore," Anne Gribbon said in her post. "Once on the shore there were two doctors and two other young women one of whom was a nurse who were all surrounding Lulu. These individuals put tourniquets on Lulus wounds."As she recovers, Lulu's mom said she is still herself."Nothing about her personality or funny, smart loving self has changed one bit," Anne Gribbin wrote in a blog post on June 10. "She may have lost her hand and her leg, but she is here, and we are truly grateful for that.">>THE LATEST: Follow Lulu Gribbin's recovery updates hereFriday and the weekendThe first attackAround 1:20 p.m. Friday, the Walton County Sheriff's Office reported that a 45-year-old woman was injured in a shark attack in Founders Lane at Watersound Beach, Florida.The woman, who had reportedly swum past the beach's first sandbar with her husband, suffered significant trauma to the midsection and pelvic area, and her left lower arm was amputated, according to the sheriff's office. She was airlifted to a trauma facility for treatment.She was immediately treated on the beach before being airlifted to the HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital, where she remains in critical condition. The second attackLess than two hours later and just four miles east, the Walton County Sheriff's Office and South Walton Fire District responded to a second shark attack near Sandy Shores Court off Seacrest Beach.PGlmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jb20vbWFwcy9lbWJlZD9wYj0hMW0xMyExbTghMW0zITFkNTUxMjEuNDkxMzU0NDk4ODEhMmQtODYuMDUzOTcwMDAwMDAwMDIhM2QzMC4yOTE0MDghM20yITFpMTAyNCEyaTc2OCE0ZjEzLjEhM20yITFtMSEyek16RENzREUySnpRMUxqVWlUaUE0TnNLd01ERW5Nall1T0NKWCE1ZTAhM20yITFzZW4hMnN1cyE0djE3MTgwNTA2Nzc2MjkhNW0yITFzZW4hMnN1cyIgd2lkdGg9IjYwMCIgaGVpZ2h0PSI0NTAiIHN0eWxlPSJib3JkZXI6MDsiIGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbj0iIiBsb2FkaW5nPSJsYXp5IiByZWZlcnJlcnBvbGljeT0ibm8tcmVmZXJyZXItd2hlbi1kb3duZ3JhZGUiPjwvaWZyYW1lPg==Fire officials said a shark attacked two teen girls, ages 15 to 17, who were swimming in waist-deep water with a group of friends just inside the beach's first sandbar. One of the girls, Lulu Gribbin, suffered significant injuries to one upper and one lower extremity, both of which required tourniquets. She was airlifted to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, where she remains in critical condition. She would later lose her left hand and part of her right leg.The second girl, McCray Faust, received a "flesh wound" to her right foot. On Saturday, Beach Safety Director for the South Walton Fire District David Vaughn told CNN the person who suffered minor injuries had been discharged from the hospital. >> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 2 Mountain Brook teens and woman seriously injured in back-to-back shark attacks along Florida Gulf CoastHow did emergency officials respond? Officials do not know for sure if the same shark was behind the separate attacks or what species was involved.The time of the attacks 鈥� in the middle of the afternoon 鈥� was also an anomaly, Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said. Sheriff's officials often warn people to be aware of sharks early in the morning and at dusk, their typical feeding times, he noted.鈥淚t would make more sense that with the nature and severity of the injuries, that it was the same large shark,鈥� Vaughn said.The last shark attack in Walton County was in June 2021. A 14-year-old survived a bite in the chest after swimming 40 yards from the shore in Grayton State Park. The one before that was a fatal attack in 2005.Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said during Friday鈥檚 news conference, authorities are speaking with experts to see if there is 鈥渟omething anomalous.鈥濃淲e don鈥檛 think there is, but we certainly want to be diligent,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e know we share the water with sharks, we understand that as tragic as this is, there are always sharks.鈥� Watch the news conference from the South Walton Fire District below: Beaches closed Friday across Walton County, but reopened Saturday morning."These types of incidents, while we've had some of those here along our history, they're highly unusual, extremely unusual for two to happen in the same afternoon and within four miles of each other," said South Walton Fire District Chief Ryan Crawford. BackgroundAre shark attacks common?While the stories of these encounters cause many people to worry, the chances of being attacked by a shark are extremely low.In 2023, Florida had 16 unprovoked shark bite incidents reported, which represents 44% of the United States total and 23% worldwide, according to CNN.Volusia County had the most shark bites, and the others were reported in Brevard, St. Lucie, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Escambia and Pinellas counties.There were no fatalities reported last year in the state as a result of the attacks.Worldwide, there were 69 unprovoked bites last year, and 10 of those were fatal, according to the University of Florida鈥檚 International Shark Attack File. That was higher than the recent average of six deaths per year.How to stay safe in the water>> SHARK SAFETY: How to keep yourself and your loved ones safe If a shark is nearby, experts say:Don't panicMaintain eye contact and avoid the shark being behind youDon't play deadSlowly back awayThis article contains information from CNN and the Associated Press.
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — Three people are continuing to heal after being injured Friday in two separate shark attacks along Florida's Gulf Coast.
The attacks happened just four miles and 90 minutes apart.
The second attack happened to two teens. The mother of Lulu Gribbin has been sharing her story on to shed light on what happened and the recovery process.
"After lunch we were walking back on the beach to the girls and everyone on the beach was standing looking out into the water," Anne Blair Gribbin wrote. "No one was in the water and all we heard was there was a shark and we started to look as well. My friend called both her daughters and they were not answering so she started to panic and said there is something wrong and started running and so we all did. The beach was packed with people just looking. I came up on a group of people surrounding someone on the ground and looked down and it was Lulu who was there."
Lulu Gribbin was in surgery when the family made it to the hospital, and her mother stated that they were told her hand had been bitten off, her leg had been amputated and she lost 2/3 of the blood in her body.
Her first words out of surgery, her mother said, were, "I made it."
There were several people who helped save her life, Anne Gribbin said.
"Lulu said a man grabbed her other arm and pulled her out and another younger boy helped him carry her to shore," Anne Gribbon said in her post. "Once on the shore there were two doctors and two other young women one of whom was a nurse who were all surrounding Lulu. These individuals put tourniquets on Lulus wounds."
As she recovers, Lulu's mom said she is still herself.
"Nothing about her personality or funny, smart loving self has changed one bit," Anne Gribbin wrote in a blog post on June 10. "She may have lost her hand and her leg, but she is here, and we are truly grateful for that."
>>THE LATEST: Follow Lulu Gribbin's recovery updates here
Friday and the weekend
The first attack
Around 1:20 p.m. Friday, the Walton County Sheriff's Office reported that a 45-year-old woman was injured in a shark attack in Founders Lane at Watersound Beach, Florida.
The woman, who had reportedly swum past the beach's first sandbar with her husband, suffered significant trauma to the midsection and pelvic area, and her left lower arm was amputated, according to the sheriff's office. She was airlifted to a trauma facility for treatment.
She was immediately treated on the beach before being airlifted to the HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital, where she remains in critical condition.
The second attack
Less than two hours later and just four miles east, the Walton County Sheriff's Office and South Walton Fire District responded to a second shark attack near Sandy Shores Court off Seacrest Beach.
Fire officials said a shark attacked two teen girls, ages 15 to 17, who were swimming in waist-deep water with a group of friends just inside the beach's first sandbar.
One of the girls, Lulu Gribbin, suffered significant injuries to one upper and one lower extremity, both of which required tourniquets. She was airlifted to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, where she remains in critical condition. She would later lose her left hand and part of her right leg.
The second girl, McCray Faust, received a "flesh wound" to her right foot. On Saturday, Beach Safety Director for the South Walton Fire District David Vaughn told CNN the person who suffered minor injuries had been discharged from the hospital.
>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 2 Mountain Brook teens and woman seriously injured in back-to-back shark attacks along Florida Gulf Coast
How did emergency officials respond?
Officials do not know for sure if the same shark was behind the separate attacks or what species was involved.
The time of the attacks 鈥� in the middle of the afternoon 鈥� was also an anomaly, Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said. Sheriff's officials often warn people to be aware of sharks early in the morning and at dusk, their typical feeding times, he noted.
鈥淚t would make more sense that with the nature and severity of the injuries, that it was the same large shark,鈥� Vaughn said.
The last shark attack in Walton County was in June 2021. A 14-year-old survived a bite in the chest after swimming 40 yards from the shore in Grayton State Park. The one before that was a fatal attack in 2005.
MARI DARR~WELCH
A sheriff’s vehicle patrols the beach in Destin, Fla., Sunday, June 26, 2005 about one mile from where a 14-year-old girl was fatally attacked by a shark. Beaches reopened Sunday with double the normal staff of sheriff’s beach patrol officers on duty, said Walton County sheriff’s Capt. Danny Glidewell. (AP Photo/Mari Darr~Welch)
Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said during Friday鈥檚 news conference, authorities are speaking with experts to see if there is 鈥渟omething anomalous.鈥�
鈥淲e don鈥檛 think there is, but we certainly want to be diligent,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e know we share the water with sharks, we understand that as tragic as this is, there are always sharks.鈥�
Watch the news conference from the South Walton Fire District below:
Beaches closed Friday across Walton County, but reopened Saturday morning.
"These types of incidents, while we've had some of those here along our history, they're highly unusual, extremely unusual for two to happen in the same afternoon and within four miles of each other," said South Walton Fire District Chief Ryan Crawford.
Background
Are shark attacks common?
While the stories of these encounters cause many people to worry, the chances of being attacked by a shark are extremely low.
In 2023, Florida had 16 unprovoked shark bite incidents reported, which represents 44% of the United States total and 23% worldwide, according to CNN.
Volusia County had the most shark bites, and the others were reported in Brevard, St. Lucie, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Escambia and Pinellas counties.
There were no fatalities reported last year in the state as a result of the attacks.
Worldwide, there were 69 unprovoked bites last year, and 10 of those were fatal, according to the . That was higher than the recent average of six deaths per year.
How to stay safe in the water
>> SHARK SAFETY: How to keep yourself and your loved ones safe
If a shark is nearby, experts say:
- Don't panic
- Maintain eye contact and avoid the shark being behind you
- Don't play dead
- Slowly back away
This article contains information from CNN and the Associated Press.