NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — A shark bit a surfer on the ankle Monday morning at New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, according to WESH-TV.
The attack took place around 9:30 am. The victim, a 22-year-old man from Oviedo, is expected to recover after being hospitalized. Officials said the man saw sharks in the water earlier, but not when he was attacked.
This makes the fourth shark attack reported at New Smyrna Beach this year and the third reported in the month of July alone.
The previous two attacks happened only a day apart from each other. The first victim was also a surfer who suffered serious injuries when a shark bit his foot back on July 14. The second was a 48-year-old man who was bit while sitting in the water on July 15. He suffered minor back injuries.
Shark attacks are not uncommon at New Smyrna Beach, which is why some have designated it the "shark bite capital of the world." Experts say sharks tend to feed near the beach because the tidal flow from the Ponce De Leon Inlet brings a lot of baitfish into the area. From there, sharks can often mistake swimmers or surfers for fish, which accounts for the relatively high number of injuries.
According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Volusia County faces an even greater danger than sharks – rip currents. While none of the shark attacks at New Smyrna have been life-threatening, the county reported three deaths from rip currents as of June, and lifeguards have rescued hundreds of people from rip currents this year.
