ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Volusia County surfer was recovering from a nasty shark bite Friday morning. Joe Giangrasso, 18, is limited to surfing the internet from his couch.

Doctors put so many stitches into his ankle that they lost count. Giangrasso says he was riding a wave Thursday, just south of the Ponce Inlet jetty, when the shark latched on.

"I thought he was going to hit me and hold on for a second. When I went to pull out, he clamped on harder and shook his head. I tried to reach, grab, and push, do whatever I could do. Finally he let go," said Joe Giangrasso, the shark bite victim.

It was the fourth shark bite this year. Beach Patrol says it is unusual to have this many bites so early in the season.