Two people were bitten by sharks in separate incidents Friday, closing the beaches for the rest of the day, Fernandina Beach Police said. The beaches were reopened Saturday morning.
One of the victims, a 17-year-old, was bitten on the foot and is expected to make a full recovery, officials said.
Dustin Theobald was in about two feet of water when he felt a shark latch onto his foot. He then smacked its head and it swam away, he said.
"When I touched its head, I could feel it was rough skin. It wasn't like fish skin. You know shark skin has a rough edge," Theobald said.
The other victim was also bitten on the foot, and the wound is not life-threatening, officials said.
The Fernandina police chief told Action News that fishermen have been catching sharks off Fernandina Beach all week.
Theobald said the bite won't keep him out of the water.
"It's just one of those once-in-a-million things that could happen to anybody," he said.
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