Volusia County one bite away from record

Volusia County one bite away from record

Two surfers were bitten by sharks at Ponce Inlet in Volusia County on Saturday. Lifeguards said the two were sitting about 200 feet apart with their feet dangling in the water when they were bitten within second of one another.

Neither bite was serious and both victims, a 43-year-old Ponce Inlet man and and a 15-year-old Casselberry teenager, were treated on the beach for very minor puncture wounds.

The latest bites are numbers 20 and 21 for the year. The shark bite record of 22 attacks, was set in 2001 when news outlets flocked to New Smyrna Beach and Ponce Inlet and produced headlines like "Summer of the Shark." During the time, Volusia County was dubbed the "shark bite capital of the world" and the title stuck.