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Shark Bites 12-Year-Old Off Daytona Beach Coast

Posted: 6:46 pm EDT September 3, 2007Updated: 9:18 am EDT September 4, 2007

A 12-year-old Orlando girl became Volusia County's 13th shark bite victim of the year Monday. Eyewitnesses told Channel 9 the shark bit her while she swam in the ocean off Daytona Beach.


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Beachgoers said they could see the circular teeth marks on the young girl's arm.

Eyewitness Lane Irvin said the girl's arm was bleeding.

"I saw the little girl in the water. She was surfing and she came running out holding her arm, screaming," Irvin said.

The girl and her family were staying in Daytona Beach for the Labor Day weekend and had just checked out of their hotel Monday. Her parents decided to spend a few more hours at the beach. She was swimming in waist-deep water when the shark came out of nowhere.

"She had a bunch of baitfish jump in the air and she felt something nip her in the arm," said Scott Petersohn, Volusia County Beach Patrol.

There have been 13 bites in Volusia County so far this year and, while most are minor, some swimmers aren't so lucky. A surfer near Ponce Inlet had his hand nearly bitten off by a shark at the end of August.

Still, Beach Patrol said shark bites are rare

"You have a much greater chance of getting hurt crossing A-1-A without a light than getting bit by a shark," Petersohn said.

Beach Patrol didn't release the victim's name, but said fortunately the bite was minor.

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