Fla. county sets record for shark attacks

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Officials in Volusia County, Fla., said Monday their county set a record for shark attacks in a year when a surfer was bitten the day before.

Chamber of commerce officials said a 44-year-old surfer suffered minor injuries when bitten on the foot by a shark near the Ponce de Leon inlet Sunday, WKMG-TV in Orlando reported.

Sunday's incident marked the 23rd shark attack in Volusia County in 2008, a county record for a single year.

The new mark eclipsed 2001, the so-called "Year of the Shark" in Volusia County, when there were 22 shark attacks.

Chamber of commerce officials noted that this year's 23 victims, who were nearly all surfers, represent only a small portion of the millions of people who visit the county each summer to enjoy activities in the ocean, WKMG-TV noted.