A swimmer off Fernandina Beach was rescued by the Nassau County marine unit following a distress call from a boat on Friday.

A man suffered a severe bite to his right arm in a shark attack off Florida’s Atlantic coast on Friday, leaving him in critical condition due to significant blood loss, authorities reported.

The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office marine unit, patrolling near Fernandina Beach close to the Florida-Georgia border, responded to a distress call from a boat. They applied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding and transported the victim to the Dee Dee Bartels boat ramp, where Fernandina Beach Fire Rescue awaited, according to a social media post from the sheriff’s office. The man, who remains unidentified, is expected to recover.

Earlier this month, three individuals—a woman and two teenage girls—sustained injuries in shark attacks on Florida’s Gulf coast. Authorities have cautioned swimmers about the presence of bait fish close to shore this time of year, potentially contributing to such incidents.

Florida employs a flag system to alert swimmers to marine life dangers, using purple to indicate their presence and red to signal high-risk conditions.

Efforts are underway to better educate the public. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission acknowledges that while there are no foolproof methods to avoid shark bites, understanding shark behavior can assist beachgoers in making informed decisions about when and where to swim.

Brent Winner of the commission emphasized, “It’s crucial for those visiting Florida waters to remain aware of their surroundings, assess relative risks, and be informed about various shark-related matters such as behavior, biology, and fishing practices.”

The commission also notes that shark bites remain exceedingly rare, with Floridians being 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning than bitten by a shark. The increase in shark bites is attributed more to higher human presence in the water than to an increase in shark populations, which are estimated to have declined by 25-30% over the past three decades.

The advisory from the commission underscores, “Humans pose a much greater threat to sharks than vice versa,” citing statistics that indicate humans are responsible for between 10 to 100 million shark deaths annually compared to the small number of human fatalities caused by sharks.

To ensure both personal safety and the ongoing survival of these remarkable creatures, greater awareness and education about sharks and related issues are essential, the advisory further stressed.

Despite leading global statistics for shark bites, Florida saw 16 unprovoked incidents reported last year according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s annual shark attack report. These incidents accounted for 44% of the US total and 23% worldwide, though no fatalities were reported.