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A horrifying situation developed for an employee at a Florida A naval base was the scene on Monday when a shark disrupted his snorkeling session, causing alarming cries that were recorded on camera.
A civilian worker stationed at the Naval Warfare Center in Panama City was swimming near the coast at 11:45 am on Monday when he encountered a shark, as reported by Naval Support Activity.
A bystander recorded the incident, showing the victim yelling "help" as he struggled in the water. As he tried to flee from the sea creature, a fin surfaced from beneath the waves.
Commander Tristan Oliveria told NBC News that the worker was scuba diving during his midday pause when the incident occurred.
The deceased remains unidentified. The Navy base stated that the worker suffered significant arm injuries, yet he was ultimately helped by bystanders.
No additional injuries were mentioned. The worker was taken to a nearby hospital with severe health issues.
A 911 call made during the event showed an anxious bystander informing the dispatcher that the victim's arm "was there, but it isn't," in response to whether body parts had been cut off.
A video depicting the terrifying assault spread rapidly across social media, prompting one individual to write, "My deepest fear has become reality. It’s exactly like the opening scene from Jaws. This is truly horrifying. His life was completely altered in an instant. I'm sending my thoughts and prayers to this young man."
Requests for a complete healing," one person added. "A frightening way to spend midday.
"That was an intense midday break. Just one swim. Just one bite. Everything changed from that moment," said another person.
The horrifying assault marks the second one in the Florida Panhandle over the past week. The event took place only a few days after a bull shark attacked a fisherman, the Pensacola News Journal reported.
Rescue personnel and first aid workers reached the location where a bull shark attack occurred, and the angler was transported by air to a nearby medical facility with injuries that were not immediately dangerous.
"He caught a bull shark, then made his way to the shore and attempted to remove the hook, only to be bitten on the thigh," said Dave Greenwood, chief of water safety for Escambia County, to the source.
Although there were consecutive assaults, specialists have warned that encounters with sharks are rare.
Dr. John Carlson, a research biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shared information with a local CBS station, WJHG which means sharks travel to coastal regions such as the Florida Panhandle to have their young around this time of year.
"The truth is, the chances are extremely small; you're more probable to get hurt using your lawn mower, you're more likely to be bitten by a dog, there's a higher chance of you being struck by a TV than experiencing a shark attack," he said when questioned about the incidents.
Carlson advised swimmers to stay away from murky water and to refrain from entering the ocean during early morning or late evening hours, as this increases the likelihood of sharks confusing people with their usual food sources.
The Daily Mail has contacted the Navy Warfighting Development Command for information regarding the latest incident.
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