NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- An 18-year-old surfer from Merritt Island suffered a shark bite to his foot Sunday while surfing in the waves near the South Jetty, Volusia County Beach Safety officials said.
The teen, whose name wasd not immediately available, didn't actually see the shark, but the puncture wound had the markings of a shark bite, a beach safety officer said, adding the teen declined to be transported to the hospital for further treatment.
Surfing is a draw for surfers near the South Jetty because of the rolling waves, but It's also a spot where spinner- and black tip-sharks, typically 3 to 8 feet in length, are drawn to bait fish. Sunday's shark bite incident was the second of 2019 in Volusia County, both occurring in waters off of New Smyrna Beach.
The waters just south of the South Jetty that juts out between Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach is a draw for surfers because of the rolling waves it produces, but It's also a spot where spinner -- and black tip-sharks -- typically 3 to 10 feet in length, are drawn to bait fish.
Sunday's shark bite incident was the second of 2019 in Volusia County, both occurring in waters off of New Smyrna Beach, though the earlier shark bite was further down the shoreline.
The waters just south of the South Jetty that juts out between Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach is a draw for surfers because of the rolling waves it produces, but It's also a spot where spinner -- and black tip-sharks -- typically 3 to 6 feet in length and 150 pounds -- are drawn to bait fish.
Sunday's shark bite incident was the second of 2019 in Volusia County, both occurring in waters off of New Smyrna Beach, though the earlier shark bite was further down the shoreline.
A Sanford teen was bitten on the calf by a shark on April 19 while he was wading in waist deep water late Sunday afternoon, April 19.
Matthew Cornell, 19, suffered lacerations in the 7:45 p.m. near the Flagler Avenue beach approach, Capt. Andrew Ethridge has said. Lifeguards treated Cornell on the scene, but he drove himself to the hospital.
Volusia County led the state with four shark attacks of Florida’s total of 16 in 2018, according to the International Shark Attack File based at the University of Florida.
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories.