Watersound & Inlet Beach shark attack in Walton County Florida

[Jane]

A teenager from Birmingham, Alabama, is recovering at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola after losing her left hand and part of her right leg in a shark attack at a Walton County beach on Friday, June 7, 2024.

Lulu Gribbin was one of three victims in two separate shark incidents that occurred within a span of 90 minutes.

According to Lulu's mother, Ann Blair Gribbin, Lulu and her twin sister, Ellie, were on a mother-daughter beach trip with friends when the attack occurred. The group was walking back from lunch when they noticed people on the beach standing and looking out into the water. Upon realizing that Lulu and her friends were not answering their phones, the mothers began to panic and ran towards the scene.

Ann Blair found Lulu surrounded by a group of people on the ground, with severe wounds on her leg. Lulu was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery.

Surgeons informed the family that the shark had bitten off Lulu's left hand and that they had to amputate her right leg halfway up from her knee to her hip. Lulu had also lost 2/3 of her blood.

Despite the severity of her injuries, Lulu's condition has been improving. She was taken off the ventilator on Saturday and was able to speak, saying, "I made it." Lulu recounted the attack, explaining that she and five friends were at the first sandbar, about waist-high, looking for sand dollars when the shark bit her hand and leg before attacking another friend's foot.

Ann Blair expressed gratitude for the individuals who pulled Lulu out of the water, the doctors and nurses on the beach who applied tourniquets, and the medical staff at Sacred Heart Hospital.

She acknowledged that while their lives will be forever changed, Lulu is strong, beautiful, and brave, and the family will support her every step of the way.

On Monday, June 10, Lulu underwent the first of many surgeries to clean out the wounds and begin closing the amputations. Doctors reported that the surgery went well, and Lulu remained alert and talkative throughout the day, according to her mother. The family also had the opportunity to thank two men who helped pull Lulu from the water and carry her to shore, with Lulu expressing her gratitude for their life-saving actions.

As Lulu continues her recovery journey, her family asks for prayers for strength, healing, and acceptance. They are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the community and remain hopeful for Lulu's future, with her mother stating, "Lulu is here, and we are forever grateful for this journey."

 

[leeboy]

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/08/us/florida-shark-attacks-walton-county/index.html

Florida fire officials are still asking beachgoers to exercise caution Sunday after three people were injured Friday in two separate shark attacks within just 90 minutes of each other at neighboring Walton County beaches.

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

“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 said in an update on its Facebook page Sunday.

The post continued: “Please do not underestimate the open water and any of the marine life that could be present.”

The department said yellow and purple flags are being used Sunday to warn people of moderate surf hazards and the dangers of marine life.

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

A 45-year-old woman was “reportedly swimming just past the first sandbar with her husband” near WaterSound Beach, Crawford said at the news conference.

The woman suffered significant trauma to the midsection and pelvic area, and her left lower arm was amputated, according to Crawford. She was airlifted to a trauma facility for treatment.

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

One of the teenagers had significant injuries to the upper leg and one hand, and the other had minor injuries on one foot, according to the fire district.

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.

The other two attack victims remained hospitalized in stable condition, he said.

CNN has contacted officials for an update on their condition but has not heard back.

Vaughn added officials do not know for sure if the same shark was behind the separate attacks or what species was involved.

“It would make more sense that with the nature and severity of the injuries, that it was the same large shark,” Vaughn noted.

Following the incidents, beach flags were changed to double red Friday to indicate the water was closed for swimming.

The father of a 17-year-old girl who witnessed the teenagers being attacked from her hotel balcony said his daughter was distraught.

“She felt helpless that she couldn’t help,” Brian Erbesfield said of his daughter Hanna.

Video provided by the family shows a shark in breakers meters offshore as beachgoers gather at the water’s edge.

“Oh my God, Oh my God … They need to get out,” a voice said.

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said during Friday’s news conference, authorities are speaking with experts to see if there is “something anomalous.”

“We don’t think there is, but we certainly want to be diligent,” he said. “We know we share the water with sharks, we understand that as tragic as this is, there are always sharks.”

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

During the most recent attack, in June 2021, a 14-year-old boy survived after being bitten in the chest area while swimming near a fishing line 40 yards from the shore in Grayton State Park. Another attack was fatal – in June 2005, a 14-year-old girl from Louisiana was on a boogie board 250 yards from shore when she was pulled under by the shark and bitten in the legs.

While the risk of being bitten by a shark is extremely low, Florida tops global charts for the number of shark bites, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s annual shark attack report.

In 2023, Florida had 16 unprovoked shark bite incidents reported, which represents 44% of the United States total and 23% worldwide. 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.

 

[PoppaJ]

I'm not victim blaming only asking.

Did her bathing suit have sequins or other sparkly material? I know little girls love that kind of stuff and it's fine in a pool or lake, but sharks will see the sparkle as bait fish and go for it.

We've never let our nieces wear a bathing suit with anything shiny or sparkly, nor do we allow them in the water near dawn or dusk and last but not least; if we eat at the beach we wash our hands before we get back in the water to avoid sending out scent trails of food.

When they both hit puberty their mother explained they wouldn't be able to get in the water for 3-5 days a month and we actually planned visits around that.

Your post mentioning shiny or sparkly things makes me curious if the two victims who lost hands were wearing rings or bracelets that could have been glittering under water.
Not sure if ankle bracelets are still a thing, but those of us who reside here often see tourists wearing jewelry to the beach.
Hopefully it was just some rogue individual who has moved on.

 

[UpNorth]

Think the hands also happen to be what most people would defend themselves with instinctually.

 

[Ken]

Did they ever catch the shark or sharks responsible?

 

[Matt J]

Unfortunately it was a minor and released back to it's parents.

 

[leeboy]

Elisabeth Foley stood before doctors, nurses and first responders at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital on May 21, 2025, nearly one year after a shark attack in the Gulf changed her life forever.

The Virginia resident was vacationing with her family in June 2024 when she was attacked by a shark, losing her hand and suffering severe injuries to her midsection and pelvic area. She was among three victims injured in shark attacks in Walton County on June 7, 2024.

“I am so thankful that the body forgets pain because I had lost a lot of blood in the water, and I just thought, this is when I die,” Elisabeth said, describing the moment of the attack in a recent video with HCA Florida.

The attack occurred while Elisabeth was swimming with her family. She saw a massive shape behind her and began swimming before feeling searing pain between her legs because she had just been bitten.

“I just instinctively knew it was a shark,” Elisabeth said. “It was still below the surface of the water. So I punched at its snout, and that’s when it grabbed me by my hand and it pulled me under the water. I just cried out and I said, ‘God, please let me live.’”

When she surfaced, Elisabeth saw about four inches of white bone protruding from her shredded hand. Her husband Ryan pulled her from the water as they called for help.

“I just remember saying everybody get out of the water,” Ryan Foley said.

On shore, Elisabeth was surrounded by vacationing medical professionals who provided immediate care until emergency responders arrived. She was then transported to HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital, a Level II Trauma Center.

Dr. Cathy Ho, trauma surgeon at the hospital, treated Elisabeth as a level one trauma patient. A comprehensive team of trauma and orthopedic physicians worked to stabilize her condition.

“We went directly to the operating room. We were met with orthopedic surgery who took care of her left hand amputation while my team and myself took care of her other injuries,” Dr. Ho said.

Through HCA Healthcare’s network, Elisabeth was transferred to Chippenham & Johnston-Willis Hospitals in Richmond, Virginia, to be closer to home. The Richmond facility specializes in wound care and reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Jeffrey Litt, a wound surgeon at Chippenham Hospital, performed six surgeries on Elisabeth. The complexity of her injuries required multiple procedures to clean wounds and support skin grafts.

“The complexity of her injuries, especially along her body and her inner thighs and so on, required multiple debridement to make sure that they were clean and could support either a skin graft or support other ways of closing things with suturing,” Dr. Litt said.
Lis Foley and Dr. Cathy Ho (HCA Healthcare)

Elisabeth underwent 18 complex surgeries during her 44-day stay at the two HCA Healthcare facilities. She returned home on August 6, 2024.

Dr. Mack Drake, also a wound surgeon at Chippenham Hospital, said the goal was clear.

“Don’t let this injury define the rest of her life,” Drake said.

Elisabeth’s return to HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital was to participate in their Trauma Survivors Event, where she shared her story of resilience and recovery.

“Their main purpose with me was to put me back together and get me out of the hospital and home to my family,” Elisabeth said. “And I’m so thankful to each and every one of them for the part that they played.”

Dr. Ho reflected on Elisabeth’s journey and recovery.

“Seeing Lis and how far she’s come to now is incredibly rewarding for not just myself, but everyone that was involved in her care. Her resilience is absolutely inspiring,” Dr. Ho said.

Elisabeth offered advice to others facing life-changing experiences.

“My advice to anybody who’s going through a life changing experience is that you allow yourself to be sad and cry about it and mourn the old you, because you should,” she said. “You have to feel those feelings. But after you’ve done your mourning, think about the positive, the upside of what your life is. My upside is that I am alive.”