Overview

• Ben West, 38, fell ill after an Aug. 23 fishing trip in Port St. Joe, developed blistering lesions and organ complications, and has undergone multiple surgeries with doctors saying the infection’s progression has been halted.
• West’s care plan includes further procedures and likely skin grafts, and his family launched a GoFundMe that had raised roughly $16,000 to $17,000 as of early this week.
• Genevieve Gallagher, 49, became severely ill days after a July 27 swim in Santa Rosa Sound off Pensacola Beach, required extensive debridement below the knee, and remains hospitalized for ongoing reconstruction at UF Health Shands.
• The Florida Department of Health cites 23 Vibrio vulnificus cases and five deaths statewide in 2025, reflecting elevated seasonal activity in warm coastal and brackish waters.
• Bay County issued a health alert on Aug. 28 for a sewage spill in Port St. Joe and urged people to avoid swimming there, while public guidance stresses covering wounds, avoiding raw shellfish, and seeking prompt care for suspicious infections.