An employee with Naval Support Activity Panama City in Florida was hospitalized following a shark attack Monday morning.
The attack first occurred around 11:45 a.m., and emergency services took the man to the hospital, Naval Support Activity said in an initial statement.
Cmdr. Tristan Oliveria, the commanding officer, later said the employee was swimming with a colleague during a lunch break when the attack happened.
“First and foremost, our prayers and thoughts go out to the family, and we want to send our appreciation to the first responders who rendered initial aid and made sure that the victim was properly and expeditiously taken to HCA Gulf Coast Hospital,” Oliveria told NBC affiliate WJHG of Panama City.
The employee sustained injuries on both of his arms, Oliveria said. He was not identified; WJHG reported that he was in his late 20s.
The man was rushed into surgery and was in critical condition, according to WJHG.
A short video of the incident online showed a man in the water screaming for help near the marina.
It appeared in the video that the shark was right next to the man, as a dorsal fin could be seen above the water just before he went under the surface.
