Sailors assigned to Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla., conduct an oil spill containment drill just offshore from the indstallation on Feb. 18, 2026. A base employee was fighting for his life this week after being attacked by a shark near the installation's marina. (Kyle Merritt/U.S. Navy)
An employee of a Navy installation in Florida was fighting for his life this week following a shark attack near the base marina, according to officials and news reports.
The man had injuries to both arms after he was attacked at Naval Support Activity Panama City shortly before noon Monday, local NBC affiliate WJHG reported.
The employee, said to be in his late 20s, was taken to a hospital in critical condition and had immediate surgery.
Base officials did not have an update to his condition as of Wednesday, spokesman Zachary Harris wrote in an emailed statement. Harris said the man works at the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Panama City Division.
Cellphone footage of the encounter was posted to X. The man is seen shouting for help as a dorsal fin thrashes in the water around him before he is submerged.
Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla., is seen from above in this undated photo. A base employee was transported to a nearby hospital Monday following a shark attack near the installation's marina. (U.S. Navy)
Base leader Cmdr. Tristan Oliveria told reporters that the man, who has worked at the base for four years, was swimming with a colleague on their lunch break. The other swimmer was not injured, according to WJHG.
“Our prayers and thoughts go out to the family, and we want to send our appreciation to the first responders who rendered initial aid,” Oliveria told the station.
State and local officials are investigating the attack, WJHG said. Last year, Florida had 11 cases of unprovoked attack by sharks, according to a tracking website run by the Florida Museum of Natural History.
