A civilian employee at the naval base NSA Panama City in the Florida Panhandle is in critical condition this Monday after being attacked by a shark while swimming in the marina of the facility during his lunch break, in an incident captured on video by a witness using their cellphone.
The attack occurred around 11:45 in the morning when the victim, a young man of approximately twenty years with about four years of service at the facility, was snorkeling alongside a colleague in the base marina.
The shark inflicted serious injuries to both arms before witnesses could rescue him from the water.
The images, which circulated widely on social media, show the dorsal fin of the shark breaking the surface of the water near the swimmer, along with what appears to be blood surrounding them, while the victim screamed for help.
A call to 911 released by the Bay County Sheriff's Office captures the chilling dialogue between the operator and the witness who was asking for help.
“Is the arm severed?”, asked the 911 operator.
“It’s there, but it’s not”, replied the caller.
The emergency services of the base urgently transported the victim to HCA Gulf Coast Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery.
The colleague who was swimming next to him was not injured.
The commander of the NSA Panama City, Tristan Oliveria, confirmed the critical condition of the employee and expressed his support for the family.
"First and foremost, our prayers and thoughts are with the family, and we want to express our gratitude to the first response teams who provided initial care and ensured that the victim was transported appropriately and quickly to HCA Gulf Coast Hospital," he stated.
"We continue to prioritize the safety of all our staff in every operation we carry out at the base," added Oliveria.
The Bay County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and NOAA are investigating the attack.
The species of shark involved has not been identified so far.
This incident is the second recorded in the northwest of Florida in a few days: last Thursday, a fisherman was bitten by a shark while trying to release it from a fishing line.
NOAA researcher Dr. John Carlson explained that the waters of the Panhandle are a breeding and migratory zone for several species:
"When the water temperature drops to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, they usually move further out to sea. However, other species have much broader migrations. Some migrate as far as southern Florida and other areas of the Gulf of Mexico."
Florida is the U.S. state with the highest historical number of unprovoked shark attacks.
In 2025, the state recorded 11 unprovoked bites, out of a global total of 65, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Experts point out that, although shark sightings are common in the region, attacks are statistically rarer than being struck by lightning or attacked by a bear.
In June 2025, a nine-year-old girl was seriously injured in Boca Grande while snorkeling, in an incident that also shocked the state.
As of the time of this report, there is no additional information regarding the injured person's health status.
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