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Woman bit by shark off Florida's coast

She's okay, but she did have to get stitches.
Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Silhouettes of sharks underwater in ocean against bright light. 3D rendered illustration.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Warning: This story contains graphic images. 

Shark Week is still a week away, but one woman's shark encounter came early.

Megan Tossi was bitten on the foot at New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County.

That's about 20 minutes south of Daytona Beach.

She was surfing when it happened. 

"It was a mild bite and I didn’t need surgery but I did get stitches", Tossi said on Facebook.

According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, this was the fourth shark bite in Volusia County so far this year, and it comes a week after an 11-year-old Lake Wales boy was bitten on the leg, also in New Smyrna Beach.

The Florida Museum of Natural History says to decrease your chance of getting bitten by a shark, you should:

  • Avoid waters being fished and those with lots of bait fishes 
  • Avoid the water at night, dawn, or dusk 
  • Avoid an uneven tan and brightly colored clothing 
  • Don’t splash a lot 
  • Always swim in a group

RELATED: Florida is still the shark bite capital of the world

RELATED: Off-duty Florida officer pulls boy away from close encounter with a shark

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