Shark bites teen surfer at New Smyrna Beach

Shark bite victim speaks after encounter

An 18-year-old is speaking to FOX 35 after he was bitten by a shark in New Smyrna Beach.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - A shark clamped down on a surfer's foot Friday at New Smyrna Beach, according to a spokesperson for Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue.

This is the second shark bite reported at the beach in less than two weeks. A 40-year-old Winter Park man was bitten by a shark on July 6 while surfing.

Shark bite at New Smyrna Beach

What we know:

Tamra Malphurs, director of the Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, told FOX 35 in an email on Friday that an 18-year-old man was surfing at New Smyrna Beach around noon Friday when he was bitten by a shark.

The bite happened on his foot.

The man was transported to the hospital for treatment. His injuries were not considered to be major.

Surfer recovering after shark bite at New Smyrna Beach

A Winter Park man is recovering after being bitten by a shark while surfing at New Smyrna Beach, calling it a miracle that he still has full use of his hand.

Matthew Bender, a surfer from Winter Park, Florida, was at New Smyrna Beach on July 6 – less than two weeks ago – when he was bitten by a shark on him arm.

"I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere," he told FOX 35.

"By the time I looked down, it was already gone. I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. It felt like electricity and like extreme pressure. And then I think it shook its head. I definitely felt that as it was letting go. It was also fast." 

Man bitten by shark while surfing at New Smyrna Beach, officials say

A 40-year-old man from Winter Park was bitten by a shark while surfing in New Smyrna Beach on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Makenna Greenlan was at the beach and witnessed first responders wrapping Bender's arm. She was visiting Florida from Canada, she said.

"You hear about it, ‘Shark Bite Capital’, but you don’t think you’re going to see it. We saw it," she said.

Where is New Smyrna Beach?

New Smyrna Beach is located in Volusia County – a little more than an hour's drive from Orlando – along Florida's Atlantic Coast.

According to the International Shark Attack File, part of the University of Florida's Florida Museum, Florida leads the U.S. with the most unprovoked shark attacks by a wide margin of any other state.

Top 5 U.S. States for Shark Attacks

• Florida: 942
• Hawaii: 199
• California: 141
• South Carolina: 120
• North Carolina: 81

Where are the most shark attacks in Florida?

Volusia County takes that title, according to the International Shark Attack File.

• Volusia County: 359
• Brevard County: 159
• Palm Beach County: 83
• St. Johns County: 46
• Duval County: 46

In 2024, there were a reported 28 shark bites in the U.S., among 47 worldwide. Four of those were fatal, including 1 in the U.S., according to the International Shark Attack File.

Of the 28 in the U.S., 14 were reported in Florida, followed by 4 in Hawaii and Texas, and 3 in California. One deadly shark attack was reported in Hawaii.