By NY Times Bestselling Author Michael Tougias
On June 9, 2026 there was a horrific shark attack near shore in Panama City in Florida’s panhandle that was caught on camera. The victim was swimming and is now fighting for his life. This has prompted the discussion about whether shark attacks are increasing, which sharks are responsible for attacks on humans, and how to protect yourself. It has also highlighted the need for a national shark alert system called Lulu’s Law to be implemented. (The law has been passed by both the House and Senate and is awaiting the President’s approval.)
The Shark Alert system is named after Lulu Gribbin, a 17 year old at the time of the attack who lost her left hand and right leg due to shark bites. “Ninety minutes prior to my accident,” recounted Gribbin, “only three miles down the coast, there was another shark attack, and we believe it was the same shark.” Gribben said the notification law might have prevented her attack because she would not have gone in the water.
New York Times Bestselling Author Michael Tougias, knows about sharks, as he has interviewed over a hundred survivors of maritime accidents. In his new book In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival and Courage, Tougias chronicles how in 2022 Lu Nguyen was attacked by a ten foot tiger shark after Lu had been in the water for 26 hours after his friend’s boat sank. “Lu’s survival story is off the charts,” says Tougias, “I’ve written ten books about castaways at sea and have never come across a story as harrowing as Lu’s. It’s amazing how Lu fought off the shark after it lunged for his head and instead bit down on his lifejacket and tried to drag him from his fellow survivors.”
Many experts on sharks say that sharks only attack humans when they mistake them for their normal prey. “Lu would disagree with that and so would I”, says Tougias, “I’ve investigating many attacks. Every now and then there is a shark who is bold and hungry and anything alive in the water becomes its prey.”
While Lulu’s law would not have prevented Lu Nguyen from being attacked, Tougias thinks the law would be big step in keeping swimmers safe. “The law is designed so that if a shark attack happens or a large shark is spotted near shore an alert goes to all the cell phones within a specific radius.” Tougias says that during his research he has come upon cases where it is likely a single shark is responsible for multiple attacks.
“More education in addition to Lulu’s Law is needed,” says Tougias, citing the International Shark Attack Files comparing attacks in 2025 to the prior year. There was also a 38.3% increase in the number of people bitten by the apex ocean predators, compared to 2024. The number of fatalities in 2025 was 50% higher than the 10-year average of six.
Not far from where the recent attack in Pensacola occurred there were highly unusual attacks in 2024, almost two years to the day of the current tragedy. On the same day there were two attacks on three different people which is so rare Tougias thinks it was the same shark.
“Between the increasing number of bull sharks in the south, and increase in great white sharks along the northeast coast because of exploding seal populations, we all need to be more careful when we enter the ocean,” says Tougias. “The sharks are at the top of food chain, not us.”
Michael Tougias is the country’s leading maritime survival and rescue author, with ten books on the subject including The Finest Hours (now a Disney movie) and his new book In Deep Water. www.michaeltougias.com
New York Times Bestselling author and co-author of 30 books for adults and 9 for young adults. Books include IN DEEP WATER: A TRUE STORY OF SHARKS, SURVIVAL AND COURAGE, EXTREME SURVIVAL, THE FINEST HOURS (a Disney movie), TEN HOURS UNTIL DAWN, FATAL FORECAST, OVERBOARD, and A STORM TOO SOON, THE WATERS BETWEEN US, KING PHILIPS WAR, and THERE’S A PORCUPINE IN MY OUTHOUSE!
