Navy base worker in vital situation after shark assault in Florida Panhandle

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (CBS12) — A Navy base worker is in vital situation after a shark attacked him throughout a lunchtime swim close to a army marina within the Florida Panhandle.

The incident occurred on Monday at round 11:45 a.m. on the fashionable waterfront space on base, based on earlier reviews.

According to Naval Support Activity Panama City Commanding Officer Tristan Oliveira, two workers members had been swimming close to the bottom marina throughout their lunch break when a shark attacked one of many males, severely injuring each of his arms.

Panama City Fire and Emergency Services rushed the sufferer, who’s described as a person in his late twenties, to an area hospital, the place he underwent emergency surgical procedure, based on WJHG. Officials with HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital stated the person is now out of surgical procedure and could also be transferred to a trauma middle for extra remedy.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are investigating the incident.

While shark sightings are frequent within the Florida Panhandle in the course of the summer time, assaults are uncommon, based on NOAA analysis biologist Dr. John Carlson.

“This is the time of year sharks move into coastal waters, often to give birth,” Carlson informed WJHG.

He stated waters close to Tyndall Air Force Base, St. Joe Bay, and Apalachicola Bay function nursery areas for a number of shark species.

Despite their presence, Carlson stated the danger of an assault stays extraordinarily low:

You’re extra prone to be injured by your lawnmower, bitten by a canine, or hit by a tv set than attacked by a shark.

Carlson advises swimmers to keep away from murky water, keep out of the water at daybreak and nightfall, and keep away from areas the place individuals are fishing. If a shark is noticed, he recommends calmly exiting the water.