A surfer is engulfed by the waves while riding swells produced by Hurricane Earl in Buxton, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010. A tourist evacuation of Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island are underway as Hurricane Earl approaches North Carolina's Outer Banks. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) (AP)
A surfer was hospitalized in stable condition Thursday night after being bitten on the hand by a shark off Melbourne Beach, Fla.
The 28-year-old man was bitten around 7:30pm while paddling out into the surf about 50 feet (15m) off the beach -- roughly 100 miles (160km) south of Daytona Beach -- Brevard County Fire-Rescue Lt. Jeff Taylor told Florida Today.
When the man looked down to see what had bitten him he saw a shark he estimated was around five feet (1.5m) long.
The man attempted to drive to himself to hospital, but pulled over at a local restaurant and called 911. Emergency officials transported him to the Holmes Regional Medical Center in stable condition.
His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
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