'I didn't see it': Surfer bitten by shark in second attack at Florida beach this month
The male victim sustained a shark bite on his foot while surfing on Friday, July 18, Aaron Jenkins, deputy chief of Volusia County Beach Safety, confirmed to USA TODAY.
Sam Hollis, a surf instructor, told NBC's Today he was able to swim to safety after the sudden attack that happened "in the blink of an eye."
"It just kind of felt like something clamping down really hard, and then it kind of felt hot, because the teeth obviously, you know, started to dig into my skin," Hollis told Today.
"I didn't see it beforehand, I didn't hear it or anything. It just kind of yanked me," Hollis told the outlet.
It marks the second shark attack this month at the beach, which is known as the self-proclaimed "Shark Bite Capital of the World," according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
On July 6, a 40-year-old man was bitten by a shark on his right forearm as he swam in the ocean, per the News-Journal. So far in 2025, four shark bites have been reported in Volusia County, Jenkins said.
Surfer bitten by shark had non life-threatening injuries, officials say
Around noon local time on July 18, an 18-year-old male surf camp instructor was paddling to a sandbar when he attempted to jump and push his board over a wave, according to a report of the incident. At that time, the shark bit his left foot, causing lacerations.
The surfer kicked the shark on the nose to get it to release from his foot. He told officials he barely saw the shark but said it was large, according to the report.
Lifeguards arrived on scene to treat the man, who was then transported to a hospital with "non life-threatening injuries," Jenkins said.
Four shark bites in one Florida county this year, officials say
Jenkins said the July 18 incident marks the fourth shark bite in Volusia County, Florida, so far this year.
Most recently, a 40-year-old man was bitten on his arm at New Smyrna Beach on July 6. He sustained non life-threatening injuries, according to the News-Journal.
Volusia County leads the nation in shark bites each year, though they are typically non-fatal, according to data from the International Shark Attack File.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Another shark attack at New Smyrna Beach, Florida: Surfer recovering
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