Surfer Bitten by Spinner Shark at New Smyrna Beach

On the morning of April 13, 2001, a 16-year-old surfer from Charleston, South Carolina was bitten by a shark while surfing near New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, Florida. The incident took place in the Atlantic Ocean off the 2700 block of North Atlantic Avenue in Port Orange, close to Ponce Inlet. The surfer was on spring break and had entered the water for what he intended to be his last ride before heading home. According to his account, he had just exited his board when he felt something grab his foot. "I got off my board and went into the water when something grabbed my foot, bit and then took off," he recalled. "I never saw it." The attack resulted in lacerations to his left foot and ankle. Two nearby teenagers—15-year-old Kayla Paulson and 17-year-old Kate Szczewinski—immediately provided assistance, cleaning the wound until a friend transported the injured surfer to Bert Fish Medical Center in New Smyrna Beach for treatment. Investigators determined the incident involved a juvenile spinner shark or blacktip shark, estimated at approximately 4 to 5 feet in length. These species are common in the area during spring and were likely attracted to shoals of baitfish in the region. Sea conditions at the time included very murky water with poor visibility, which may have contributed to the unprovoked encounter. Following the incident, lifeguards ordered all swimmers and surfers out of the water for approximately one hour as a precautionary measure. Notably, this incident occurred just minutes after another shark bite at the same beach, marking an unusually active period for shark encounters in the area.