Shark Attack at Naval Base

On Monday at around 11:45 a.m., a civilian employee was seriously injured in a shark attack while swimming during his lunch break at the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Panama City Naval Base in Panama City, Florida. The man is thought to be in his late 20s and was swimming near a marina with a colleague when the incident occurred.

The NSA Panama City Commander, Tristan Oliveria, reported that the man sustained injuries to both arms and was taken to HCA Gulf Coast Hospital for emergency surgery. Fortunately, his colleague was unharmed.

By the time he left the base in an ambulance, the man was described as being in critical condition, as confirmed by NSA Panama Public Affairs Director, Zach Harris. No further updates regarding his health or identity were available at the time.

A local fisherman captured the attack on video, which began circulating on social media shortly afterward.

“We’ve never seen anything like this on base before,” Harris remarked. The attack took place near the Morale, Welfare, Recreation, and Marina areas of the base. Harris mentioned that there were warning signs at the marina advising swimmers to be cautious, as there aren’t any lifeguards on duty in those waters.

In response to the incident, Bay County Emergency Services has put up purple warning flags along the beach to alert swimmers about potential dangers in the water.

Harris also noted that base officials are considering policy changes to address safety concerns. However, when asked if swimming during lunch breaks would be banned, he stated that any proposed policy would likely not be overly detailed.

“Our people are our most important asset,” Harris emphasized, sharing his condolences and describing the situation as a tragedy. The victim had reportedly worked at the Naval Surface Warfare Center for four years.

Authorities from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office are currently investigating the incident. As of now, there is no information regarding the species of shark involved.