Photo: Taken by Andrew Thirlwell / Moment / Getty Images
A teenager was bitten in the leg by a shark during a lifeguard training camp in Ponce Inlet, Florida, on Monday (July 8) morning. Authorities said that the 14-year-old Dempsey Manhart was practicing water entries when he landed on top of a shark.
At first, Manhart thought he hit another person as he dove into the water.
"I dove onto it, and I hit the shark," Manhart told WOFL. "I hit it with my hands, and then I stood up, and it spun around and was like underneath my legs."
"When it came under my feet, I was like hitting it, and then it swam away. Then that's when I saw the shark," Manhart continued.
As the shark swam back toward Manhart, it bit him in the calf. He was pulled from the water and taken to the hospital, where he received 17 stitches to close the wound.
Despite the attack, Manhart is excited to get back in the water once he's fully healed.
"Because I think that it's something really rare that can happen. And if it's happened once, I doubt it's going to happen again. So I don't think there's really anything to be scared of," said Manhart.