18-year-old surfer bitten by shark off Florida coast

A surfer dangling his feet into the Atlantic Ocean on Florida's east coast was bitten by a shark, authorities said.

The 18-year-old man was surfing in water up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) deep near the New Smyrna Beach jetty Saturday when the shark swam up and bit him, said Scott Petersohn, spokesman for the Volusia County Beach Patrol.

"This was a case of mistaken identity," Petersohn told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. "The guy's foot dangling in the water looks a lot like a fish."

The man, who was not identified, suffered puncture wounds on his right foot, Petersohn said. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance in stable condition, officials said.

The size of the shark was not known.

The incident was the second confirmed shark bite off a beach in this county in less than a month, authorities said. A 15-year-old boy suffered minor injuries when he stepped on a shark Oct. 15 at the Ponce Inlet jetty, AP reported. V.A.