“Swimmers Return to New Smyrna Beach with Caution Following Shark Bite Incident”

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – With the ongoing heatwave in Central Florida, many people sought relief by heading to the beach, even though a recent shark incident had some exercising more care in the water.

On Friday, while surfing in New Smyrna Beach near Beach Community Park, an 18-year-old was bitten on the foot by a shark during a summer surfing camp. Volusia County officials reported to News 6 that he was taken to the hospital, but his injuries were not life-threatening.

Despite the shark bite making news statewide, visitors still flocked to the beach on Saturday to beat the heat. They remained vigilant and more mindful of their surroundings while enjoying the ocean.

“There’s been a lot of shark attacks. You just got to be careful, make sure you’re looking at the water,” beachgoer Tiffany S. said.

“Pay attention to like, the flags because they you definitely have an impact on like the water and like how you might swim differently,” Pamela G., another beachgoer, said.

According to the International Shark Attack File’s 2024 shark attack report, Florida topped the list for most unprovoked shark bites in the U.S. with 14 last year, eight of which were in Volusia County. We also accounted for 30 percent of all unprovoked bites worldwide.

“This is the fourth shark bite in 2025,” a Volusia County spokesperson told News 6 after the bite on Friday.

The same report finds that the total number of unprovoked shark bites worldwide remains extremely low.

“There are always more and more deaths in car crashes than there are by sharks. So, nothing to be afraid of,” beachgoer Adam Lopez said.

While we do lead the way in unprovoked attacks, people who call the beach a home away from home will not let that stop them from getting in the water.

“Sharks are way more scared of you than you are of them,” Brian Thompson, who visits the beach monthly, said.

There could soon be a nationwide alert system that will notify people in the area of a shark bite, thanks to Lulu’s Law. The bill, recently passed in the U.S. Senate, would create an alert system that would send people a notification if a shark bite is reported near them. It now heads to the U.S. House.