10-Year-Old Boy Bitten by Shark in Florida
The boy suffered minor lacerations to his calf and was released at the scene.
— -- Just days after two teenagers suffered vicious shark bites at North Carolina beaches, yet another shark attack was reported today -- this time in central Florida.
Around 1 p.m. today, a 10-year-old boy was swimming in shallow water in Daytona Beach Shores when he was bitten by what appeared to be a small shark, according to Capt. Tamra Marris of Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue.
The boy suffered minor lacerations to his calf. He was treated and released at the scene, Marris said.
This incident comes just three days after Hunter Treschl, 16, was attacked by a shark off the coast of Oak Island, North Carolina, losing part of his arm.
A 12-year-old girl, Kiersten Yow, also lost an arm in a similar attack near Oak Island, just 90 minutes before. Her family has said that she is expected to be able to keep one of her legs, which was also injured in the attack. Today, her family added that was in good condition, after describing her as "stable" on Tuesday.
While shark attacks may seem to be on the rise across the globe, that doesn't mean sharks are on a rampage, according to experts who note that it could be the result of more people seeking fun in the oceans.
Last year, there were four shark attacks in North Carolina, according to the International Shark File, which tracks and verifies shark attacks around the world and is curated by the Florida Museum of Natural History’s George Burgess.
Florida topped the list as the state with the highest number of shark attacks last year, with 28. That top spot is not surprising, Burgess said, given the state's year-round appeal as a surfing and swimming destination.
Many of Florida's two-dozen shark attacks a year are relatively small bites by smaller species, said Burgess, who is also the director of the Florida Program for Shark Research.
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