Beaches along part of the Florida panhandle are closed after three people were bitten by sharks.
Those incidents happened Friday afternoon in Walton County about four miles apart and within an hour-and-a-half of each other.
According to the Walton County Sheriff's Office, a shark bit off a woman's lower left arm in the first incident. That woman remains in a hospital in critical condition.
In the second attack, a shark bit two teenaged girls who were swimming waist-deep water. That attack left one in critical condition with significant wounds to one arm and one leg. The second teen sustained flesh wounds to her foot and is reportedly stable in a hospital.
Authorities say bystanders, including off-duty medical personnel, immediately rendered first aid to the victims before authorities and first responders could arrive. Officials credit those bystanders and their actions of giving the victims a better chance at recovery.