6-foot shark bites boy on Florida beach

NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. — A boy was bitten by a shark believed to be 6 feet long Sunday off Neptune Beach.

Neptune Beach police said the boy and his stepfather were in 2 feet of water when a shark bit the boy on the leg.

It happened around 3 p.m.

Police said the boy has a severe laceration and was taken to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

One witness tells me that the boy was hysterical after a shark bit him and his dad was hugging him trying to calm him down @ActionNewsJax
— KatieMcKee (@KatieWSYX6) May 29, 2016

Here on Neptune Beach speaking with a lot of people who were around when a boy was bit by a shark @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/Dn4CX3SdWP
— KatieMcKee (@KatieWSYX6) May 29, 2016

Neptune Beach police: a boy was bitten by a shark in 2 ft. of water, they believe the shark was 6 feet long @ActionNewsJax
— KatieMcKee (@KatieWSYX6) May 29, 2016

Shark bite at the beach!! 😳 Right in front of our eyes. We were at the same spot in the water 15 min earlier! The boy is ok thank god but a pretty bad bite.. #dontgointhewater #😡 #ihatesharks
Posted by Lou DeMark on Sunday, May 29, 2016

Last Saturday, an 11-year-old girl was badly bitten by a shark at Huguenot Park, which is approximately 8 miles north of where the boy was bitten.

A Florida woman was bitten by a nurse shark in Boca Raton's Red Reef Park May 15. That woman was taken to a nearby hospital with the 2-foot nurse shark still attached to her arm.

An 11-year-old girl was severely bitten by a shark Saturday in Jacksonville, about 200 miles north. She was taken to a hospital and spent nine hours in the trauma unit. She is expected to undergo further surgery this week.

A tourist swimming in an area called “shark alley” was bitten by a shark May 22.

Researchers say warming water temperatures and a population boost could make higher numbers of attacks the norm.

Cox Media Group