Shark bites woman off Florida's Atlantic coast, authorities say
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- A 51-year-old Georgia woman is recovering after authorities say a shark bit her on the thigh as she swam off of Florida’s Atlantic coast.
Melanie Lawson told Orlando television station WESH she had told her children not to go deeper than 3 feet as they swam off New Smyrna Beach on Wednesday. She said she felt something hit her, knocking her over in the water and then felt the pain.
“I was kind of shocked because it was in such a shallow area. Scared me to death,” she said.
The incident took place around 1 p.m. Authorities told CBS affiliate WKMG that it’s unclear what type of shark it was because there were no additional witnesses.
Lawson, who lives in Marietta north of Atlanta, Ga., was taken to a hospital for treatment.
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She said that she’ll go back in the ocean again, but admitted that it’ll probably be a long time. She added that she’s heading back home on Thursday as planned.
The incident is the second shark bite that has been reported in Volusia County this year. In March, a 58-year-old man was bit on the foot while he was surfing.