A Florida man jumped off his surfboard and landed on a shark

Author: Alaa Elassar / CNN
Published:
New Smyrna Beach is on Florida's Atlantic coast, just south of Daytona Beach. (Credit: CNN)
New Smyrna Beach is on Florida’s Atlantic coast, just south of Daytona Beach. (Credit: CNN)

A Florida surfer was riding the waves Sunday at New Smyrna Beach when he got one good bite of reality.

Stephen Michelena, 32, was surfing in about 4 feet of water when he jumped off his board and landed on a shark, according to the Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, on Florida’s Atlantic coast.

According to the rescue team, the shark bit the surfer’s foot once and swam away.

Michelena refused to be transported to the hospital and was treated on the beach for minor lacerations to his left foot.

“The shark was not seen well enough to estimate its size,” the official Volusia County shark incident report said.

Tamra Malphurs, a spokeswoman for Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, told CNN that Sunday’s incident marks the beach’s 12th shark bite so far this year.

Malphurs said anyone in the water should always swim in front of a lifeguard.

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