A Volusia County teenager spending Labor Day at Ormond Beach was rushed to a nearby hospital after he was bitten by a shark.

Lifeguards said the 17-year-old, from Daytona Beach, was bitten on his right shoulder.

Volusia County Beach Safety said the teen's injuries were not serious, but he was taken to the hospital as a precaution. The teen was conscious and walking around after the bite.

According to Volusia County Beach Safety Deputy Chief Scott Petersohn, the teen was waist-deep in the water when the shark bit him.

"And then, out of the blue, he felt something running into him. He stated to one of our guards that it knocked him over," said Petersohn. "He never saw what got him, but from the wounds and everything, it appears to be an encounter with a shark."

Tim Phillips, of Ocala, sent in photos of emergency workers treating the teen. Most witnesses who saw the shark bite said it looked like the boy had a deep wound.

"He was bleeding on his shoulder. He wasn't crying or anything," said Phillips. "It didn't look serious, like real bad, but then again, when something happens like that, you get a lot of adrenaline pumping."

"He had a big chunk of skin missing from his shoulder," said Alexander Filipovski, a surfer who saw the teen's wound, adding: "He seemed pretty calm."

Filipovski, as well as other surfers at Ormond Beach on Monday, said they saw sharks jumping out of the water minutes before the teen was bitten.

Petersohn said there were a lot of bait fish in the water at the time, and the teen's bite was the case of mistaken identity.

"You got to remember these sharks, when they're in the murky water, they're chasing these bait fish around," Petersohn explained. "And if you're standing in the way, they will bite you."

Petersohn said Monday's incident was the fifth shark bite of the year in Volusia County. None of those five shark bites were serious, he added.

Since surfers saw the shark flying out of the water, Petersohn said it was likely a spinner shark that bit the teen. Spinner sharks can grow to about five to six feet long.

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Reducing the odds of a shark attack

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Florida Fish and Wildlife says shark attacks in Florida are rarely life-threatening, but there are a number of steps you can take to reduce your chances of being bitten:

  • Always swim in groups. Sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual.
  • Don't wander too far from shore. This can isolate you and place you farther away from assistance.
  • Avoid the water after dark and during twilight hours. That's when sharks are most active and have a competitive sensory advantage.
  • Don't enter the water if bleeding from an open wound, or if menstruating. S shark's ability to smell blood is acute.
  • Avoid wearing shiny jewelry. When light reflects off shiny jewelry, it resembles the sheen of fish scales.
  • Avoid waters with known discharges or sewage, and waters used for any type of fishing, especially if there are signs of baitfishes or feeding activity. Diving seabirds, which frequently feed on baitfishes, are good indicators of such activity.
  • Dolphins in the water do NOT indicate an absence of sharks. While there are myths and anecdotes about dolphins saving humans from shark attacks, both often eat the same foods.
  • Use extra caution when waters are murky.
  • Sharks see contrast particularly well. Uneven tans and bright-colored clothing may draw a shark's attention.
  • Refrain from excess splashing, as this may draw a shark's attention.
  • Don't allow pets in the water. Their erratic movements can cause sharks to mistake them for baitfish.
  • Be careful when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep drop-offs. These are favorite hangouts for sharks.
  • Swim only in areas tended by lifeguards.
  • Don't enter the water if sharks are known to be present, and get out of the water if sharks are sighted.
  • Never harass a shark!