NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Two surfers were bitten by sharks Friday morning near the South Jetty, bringing to four the number of such attacks so far this year, the Volusia County Beach Patrol confirmed.
The first victim was 29-year-old Jason Coffman of South Daytona, who was bitten in the hand on the Ponce Inlet side of the jetty while sitting on his surfboard.
The second vitim was an unidentified 24-year-old New Smyrna Beach surfer who suffered a bite on his left thigh some 300 yards south of the jetty.
Both nmen sought treatment on their own at Bert Fish Medical Center.
Beach Patrol spokesman Capt. Scott Petersohn said an unusually large number of sharks in the surf Friday in waist-deep water was not unusual considering the murky waters with plentiful bait fish, the desired source of food for 4-to 5-feet-long spinner sharks.
The rough seas and riptides are other big concerns for this Labor Day weekend, Petersohn said, with beaches expected to be packed, even with a 40 percent chance of rain today.