Horror moment boy, 16, is attacked by SHARK while surfing off Florida beach known as world’s ‘bite capital’
THIS is the terrifying moment a teenager was attacked by a shark while surfing off a beach in Florida that’s often branded the world’s “bite capital”.
Doyle Nielsen, 16, was paddling in the water off New Smyrna Beach on September 9 when the accident happened.
Footage uploaded to Instagram shows the finned beasts navigating through the water as surfers tried to take advantage of the strong currents left by Hurricane Larry.
One shark, thought to be around six feet long, can be seen taking a nibble out of Doyle’s right arm as he’s trying to ride a wave.
The surfer is knocked off his board as he is seen floating in the choppy waters.
Doyle manages to get back on his paddleboard and swims back to shore.
He was treated onshore by rescue crews, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
The teen originally thought that another surfer had hit him until others told him to get out of the water.
He told ABC News: “It felt like someone on their surfboard had come full speed directly at me and hit me super hard.”
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The fearless teen wasn’t put off by the encounter as he said: “I’ll definitely be surfing again.”
The horrific moment was recorded by photographer Sam Scribner and uploaded to Instagram.
Scribner said: “Larry certainly brought us good waves, but apparently the true locals of Ponce Inlet weren’t happy about the crowd.
“I certainly don’t want to villainize sharks, this is something that’s all too common in the waters around Smyrna Beach.
“We are in their territory and sometimes those little (thankfully he was little) guys like to enact the stand your ground law (no Glocks, just teeth).”
The boy’s gran said she was “glad” Scribner captured the moment.
She posted: “It makes it even more scary seeing it. You’re an amazing photographer.”
New Smyrna Beach – just south of Daytona Beach – is known as the unofficial shark bite capital.
‘SHARK ATTACK’
Volusia County boasts more shark “attacks” than anywhere in the world.
Tyler Bowling, of Florida’s Program for Shark Research, said: “In places like New Smyrna, where the water is murky, the blacktip sharks can’t see very well. So, they are likely to be reacting to flashes of movement.”
Blacktip sharks tend to live in coral reefs and waters off beaches and can grow to 5.5feet long.
Last month, a 35-year-old Sanford resident suffered “minor cuts” after a shark, that was just three feet long, bit him on his right foot.
The unnamed man had just gotten off his board and was standing in knee-deep water when he was attacked.
And, an 11-year-old boy, of Georgia, was presumably attacked by a shark while he was boogie boarding in July.
Officials said the shark wasn’t seen and the boy was taken to a local hospital with injuries, the News-Journal reports.
Sharks reportedly bit two swimmers at the beach in June as a 71-year-old man and a boy, 12, were targeted.
The 71-year-old was standing in knee-deep water when the beast attacked his right foot, while the schoolboy was bitten on his calf after jumping off his surfboard.
Capt. Alex Miller, of Ocean Rescue, said the boy was taken to Halifax Health medical center after being treated at the shore.
It’s thought there have been at least 10 “shark” attacks recorded this year at the beach.
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