Florida man bitten by shark during visit to Daytona Beach, authorities say
LAKE MARY, Fla. - Volusia County authorities said a Florida man was injured on Monday after being bitten by what is presumed to be a shark.
The 33-year-old Orlando man was wading in waist-deep water in Daytona Beach just before 3 p.m. when something bit his right foot. Volusia County Beach Safety deputies said the injuries, which were not life-threatening, are believed to be from a shark.
The man was transported to the hospital by Volusia County Emergency Medical Services for further treatment. Tamra Malphurs, deputy chief of Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, said this would be the sixth shark bite of the year for the county, which has been billed as the "shark bite capital of the world."
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It is the second shark bite along Central Florida's east coast in as many weeks. A teenage boy was reportedly bitten by a shark in Brevard County on July 19. It happened south of Jetty Park on the beach just after 11 a.m., according to Canaveral Fire Rescue. He was taken to the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury. Earlier in the month, a surfer visiting from Miami was bitten on the foot by a 6-foot shark in New Smyrna Beach. His injuries were also non-life-threatening.
While the number of shark encounters in Florida sounds like a lot or may seem alarming, it doesn't necessarily mean there are more shark bites happening, according to Gavin Naylor, director of the University of Florida's Program for Shark Research. In fact, he thinks it might actually be a below-average year for shark bites.