Senator Katie Britt is advocating for increased awareness of shark attacks among beachgoers. In the wake of a shark encounter with a teenager in Alabama in June, she believes that similar warnings to those for severe weather or Amber Alerts should be given to help keep people safe.
Alabama’s Republican senator has proposed a bill that aims to add shark attacks as an eligible event for wireless emergency alerts. The public alert system is overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which allows local emergency alerts to include warnings for extreme weather, evacuation orders, missing minors, and various other incidents.
The office of U.S. Representative Mo Brooks has announced Lulu’s Law, which is named after 15-year-old Lulu Gribbin, who suffered severe injuries in a shark attack in Florida. The law aims to prompt authorized government authorities to send mobile phone alerts to the public if a shark attack occurs, or if conditions that increase the risk of an attack are present. The alerts would help warn the public and prevent further incidents.
According to The Associated Press, Lulu endured the loss of her right leg and left hand during the attack, which took place in waist-deep water. Her companion, McCray Faust, was also present and sustained minor injuries to her foot, as reported by CNN affiliate WAAY.
According to a news release from Britt’s office, there was another shark attack just 90 minutes before and a few miles away from where the teenagers were injured. The victim was Elisabeth Foley, a 45-year-old woman from Virginia. The attack resulted in the loss of her left hand and severe injuries to her midsection, as reported by the AP.
According to Lulu’s parents, they feel thankful towards Britt for proposing the legislation.
Ann Blair and Joe Gribbin expressed their gratitude that Lulu survived the shark attack on June 7 in the senator’s office news release. They were, however, in disbelief that the accident had occurred. They pointed out that this was the second attack of the day in close proximity and suggested that a better alert system could have prevented it. They emphasized the importance of Lulu’s Law in such incidents.
As a mother of two teenagers, Britt empathizes deeply with Lulu’s situation. It hits close to home for her.
In the press release, Britt expressed that Lulu’s Law has the potential to provide critical information to beachgoers swiftly and accurately, which can help them avoid any potential danger. He highlighted that this measure is a sensible step to ensure the safety of families, and he believes that people will support this cause, just like Lulu’s local community, the state, and the nation have supported her.
According to a report from the Florida Museum of Natural History, while the risk of a shark bite is very low, Florida has the highest number of shark bites globally. The report, which was released in 2023, states that there were 16 cases of unprovoked shark bites in Florida last year, contributing to a total of 36 bites across the United States, which resulted in two fatalities.