This past weekend, the peaceful shores of Northwest Florida turned into chaos as a normal vacation became a life-threatening shark encounter for two Alabama teens.
Two girls were swimming at Rosemary Beach in Walton County when they were attacked by a shark, leaving one of them with severe injuries.
Just a few hours before, a woman was also attacked some four miles away.
According to a report by NBC News, after the second attack, officials closed the water to the public. It was then reopened Saturday with a red flag, indicating high surf and strong current, and a purple flag for stinging marine life.
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Back home in Birmingham, Alabama, the Mountain Brook community has been offering an unwavering amount of support and solidarity for the two teens.
On Sunday, a local church held a prayer service for the two residents that were involved in the shark attack, according to social media.
Andy's Farm Market, a local shop in Birmingham, has been at the forefront of the community effort.
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According to Tricia Burris, the owner of Andy's, a Facebook post mentioned one of the victims' favorite color was purple and they began making purple bows for the community to be able to show their support.
"The response has been phenomenal," she said in a statement to NBC6.
"We have entire neighborhoods ordering bows, and are collecting donations that will go directly to the family to help with medical expenses," said Burris.
