Three people were seriously injured Friday in two separate shark attacks along Florida's Gulf Coast.The attacks happened just four miles and 90 minutes apart. Officials do not know if the same shark was behind both attacks or what species was involved.“It would make more sense that with the nature and severity of the injuries, that it was the same large shark,” Beach Safety Director for the South Walton Fire District David Vaughn said.The time of the attacks — in the middle of the afternoon — was also an anomaly, Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said. Sheriffs' officials often warn people to be aware of sharks early in the morning and at dusk, their typical feeding times, he noted. The last shark attack in Walton County was in June 2021. A 14-year-old survived a bite in the chest after swimming 40 yards from the shore in Grayton State Park. The one before that was a fatal attack in 2005. Are shark attacks common?While the stories of these encounters cause many people to worry, the chances of being attacked by a shark are extremely low.In 2023, Florida had 16 unprovoked shark bite incidents reported, which represents 44% of the United States total and 23% worldwide, according to CNN.Volusia County had the most shark bites, and the others were reported in Brevard, St. Lucie, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Escambia and Pinellas counties.There were no fatalities reported last year in the state as a result of the attacks.Worldwide, there were 69 unprovoked bites last year, and 10 of those were fatal, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File. That was higher than the recent average of six deaths per year.How to stay safe in the waterAvoid swimming in estuaries, deep water between sandbars and murky waterAvoid areas near where people are fishingDon't swim during dusk and dawnStay near lifeguardsDon't wear shiny objects in the waterListen to your gutIf you see a shark in the waterDon't panicMaintain eye contact and avoid the shark being behind youDon't play deadSlowly back awayThis article contains information from CNN.