A shark bit a Florida teen on the leg during a lifeguard training camp on Monday morning, officials said.
The attack on the 14-year-old boy in question occurred near the Ponce Inlet lifeguard tower shortly before noon, Volusia county beach safety officials said. The lifeguard trainee had been practicing water entries when he landed on a shark.
The teen’s injuries weren’t considered life-threatening, officials said. He was taken by his parents to get stitches.
Shark attacks are relatively rare but attract a disproportionate amount of news media attention, especially in the summer, when people usually spend more time in the ocean.
Florida is the US and world leader in terms of number of shark attacks. Of the 69 unprovoked shark attacks reported around the globe in 2023, 16 of them were in Florida, according to the International Shark Attack File report.
Monday’s attack comes just days after two separate shark bite incidents off nearby New Smyrna Beach. A 26-year-old man was bitten on the foot while floating in an inner tube on Friday, and a 21-year-old man was bitten on Thursday while playing football in shallow water.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
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