Shark bites 13-year-old girl in Volusia County

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — Authorities say a 13-year-old girl was bitten in the leg by a shark off New Smyrna Beach, the 16th shark bite of the year in Volusia County.
Volusia County Beach Patrol Capt. Scott Petersohn says the girl was in waist-deep water Tuesday when the shark bit her on the leg. She suffered several small puncture wounds and a 3-inch gash. The girl was visiting from New York. She has not been identified.
The bite happened a couple of miles from where most shark bites occur. Petersohn says swimmers should shuffle their feet when walking in the ocean because rhythmic movement is a signal to a shark to swim away. Splashing around is similar to what another fish might do when injured, and that attracts sharks.