Shark bites 14-year-old in Volusia County

A Flagler County teen on a drill for Junior Lifeguard Camp jumped into the ocean in Ponce Inlet Monday and landed on a shark that bit him in the calf, Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue officials said.

Witnesses said the teen dove into the water and landed on the 4 to 5-foot black tip, a shark that is common for Volusia County beaches, said Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue Interim Director Tamra Malphurs on Tuesday.

The incident, the third shark bite in the county this year, occurred at 11:15 a.m. at 5000 South Atlantic Ave. north of the jetty, Malphurs said.

The 14-year-old was bitten in the right calf , officials said.

The teen was treated on scene and released to a custodian, who took the boy to the hospital with non-life-threatening lacerations, Malphurs said.

The first shark bite occurred on Independence Day when 21-year-old Connor Graham Baker of Belpre, Ohio, was bitten while playing football in knee-deep water in New Smyrna Beach.  His injuries were not life-threatening and he was taken to a nearby hospital. The shark bit him on the right foot.

The following day, July 5, the second shark bite was also reported in New Smyrna Beach, a popular surfing spot.

A 26-year-old man visiting from Sarasota was bitten on his left foot while wading in an inner tube in approximately five feet of water, beach officials said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Shark bites 14-year-old in Volusia County