ORLANDO, Fla. _ Florida headlines jumped the shark Sunday afternoon when a 27-year-old man was attacked by a shark that he accidentally jumped on in New Smyrna Beach, according to Volusia County Beach Safety.
The unidentified man was surfing and decided to jump off his board and into the water, said Av Jenkins, deputy chief of operations. The bad timing coincided with a shark that just happen to be swimming near by.
The surfer sustained minor lacerations and was treated on scene, Jenkins said.
The man drove himself back to Orlando after the incident.
The bite makes for at least 20 suspected shark attack bites in Florida. There were 10 suspected shark attacks in Volusia County just between July and August.
Volusia County leads the world in shark bites with 303 confirmed attacks between 1882 and 2018, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.
To avoid shark encounters, don't enter the water when there is little sunlight out or with sparkling jewelry on.
