Overview
- A civilian employee at Naval Support Activity Panama City was severely injured by a shark while swimming with a colleague during a lunch break on Monday, and he was rushed to HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital for emergency surgery.
- Officials say the victim suffered serious injuries to both arms and remains in critical condition, and bystanders and base first responders provided immediate aid at the marina.
- The Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and NOAA have opened investigations and have not publicly identified the shark species.
- A bystander cellphone video and a released 911 call have circulated online and increased public attention to the incident and to the base’s posted warnings and lack of lifeguards at that site.
- Experts note sharks move into Panhandle coastal waters in early summer to use bays as nursery areas, attacks are still rare, and the episode has revived discussion of ‘Lulu’s Law,’ a bill to allow wireless emergency alerts for shark attacks.