Teen dives onto shark and is bitten during lifeguard training camp in Florida

A shark bit a Florida teenager on the leg during a lifeguard training camp Monday morning, officials said.

The attack occurred near the Ponce Inlet lifeguard tower shortly before noon, Volusia County Beach Safety officials said. The 14-year-old boy had been practicing water entries when he landed on a shark. The boy dove onto a blacktip shark, which witnesses said was 4 to 5 feet long, CBS affiliate WKMG reported.

The teen's injuries weren't considered life-threatening, officials said. He was taken by his parents to get stitches.

Monday's attack comes just days after two separate bite incidents in nearby New Smyrna Beach. A 26-year-old man was bitten on the foot while floating in an innertube Friday, and a 21-year-old man was bitten Thursday while playing football in shallow water.

In June, a shark attack off Florida's east coast left a man with a "severe bite to his right arm." Earlier that month, a woman and two teenage girls were hurt in two separate shark attacks in Florida's Gulf Coast.

Local authorities have warned swimmers of the dangers in Florida's waters. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that shark activity in Florida waters is typically at its peak between April and October.

Shark attacks are rare. In 2023, there were 69 confirmed shark attacks worldwide, which was higher than the previous five-year average of 63 attacks, according to the latest iteration of the International Shark Attack File.  Almost half of the U.S. attacks happened in Florida — and Volusia County has been dubbed the "shark bit capital of the world."

Last month, pro surfer Tamayo Perry died after sustaining fatal injuries in a shark attack off the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

In:
• Shark Attack
• Florida
• Lifeguard

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