By Marlyn Montilla
09 Jul 2024, 15:41 PM EDT
A 14-year-old boy was bitten by a shark on the leg during a lifeguard training camp in Florida, Volusia County Beach Safety (VCBS) officials said.
At about 11:15 a.m. Monday, officials said a young man was entering the water at Ponce Inlet, an area of beach north of the pier, when he was bitten on the right calf.
The boy was participating in the Youth Lifeguard Camp, VCBS officials explained.
Witnesses said that while the child was submerging in the water, he fell on top of the shark and it attacked him.
They also stated that the shark was a blacktip shark of size 4 to 5, an animal frequently found on beaches in the area.
Authorities said the teen was treated at the scene and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening lacerations.
Not including Monday’s attack, there have been 351 attacks in Volusia County alone since 1882, Fox News reported.
After Florida, Hawaii is in second place with 16 unprovoked bites in 2023.
Although the report shows that the majority of shark attacks have occurred in September since 1926, July, August and October are also among the most common attack months in the Sunshine State.
In early June, miles of beaches in Walton County, Florida, were closed following two consecutive shark attacks.
At least four people were injured by shark bites on South Padre Island in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend.
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