A 10-year-old boy suffered minor injuries after a shark attacked him on Wednesday in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida.
The boy, who was visiting from Georgia, was bitten on the calf while swimming in chest-deep waters shortly after 1 p.m., said Tamra Marris, a spokeswoman for Volusia County Beach Safety/Ocean Rescue. A lifeguard on duty responded immediately, and the boy was treated at the scene for minor lacerations on his leg, according to NBC Miami.
"He just started screaming, coming towards me, saying, 'I want out of the water,'" said Kenneth Wood, the father of the 10-year-old. "I thought he was joking. He grabbed onto my arm, and I pulled him out," WFTV reported.
The attack is the third such incident in a week after two separate back-to-back shark attacks took place in North Carolina on Sunday: A 12-year-old girl lost her left arm below the elbow and suffered leg injuries, and a 16-year-old boy had his arm bitten off above the elbow. Both are recuperating, according to New York Daily News.
While it may seem that shark attacks are on the rise, it does not necessarily mean that they have become more aggressive.
According to experts, the increase in reported shark attacks could, in fact, be due to people seeking more fun in the oceans, according to ABC News.
