Surfer bitten by shark in Indian Harbour Beach

A surfer suffered a non-life threatening shark bite while paddling offshore of Indian Harbour Beach earlier today, police reported.

The unidentified man, 44, suffered a bite to his left hand and was seen bleeding profusely as he made it back to shore, according at least one witness visiting Bicentennial Park at Ocean Dunes Drive in the beach side town. Brevard County Fire Rescue paramedics and Ocean Rescue lifeguards helped the man with the injury before he was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center for further medical treatment.

"He was surfing and said he was not too far from the shore," said Cpl. John Knudsen of the Indian Harbour Police Department. "(The shark) took a piece out of his hand. It grabbed hold of his left hand. He'll need stitches but he will be okay."

The incident happened about 1 p.m.

There were about 70 people along the beach at the time and shortly after the unidentified man was placed into a Brevard County Fire Rescue ambulance, a dozen or so surfers returned to the waves.

The man told witnesses that the shark appeared to be about two-feet long.

Contact Gallop at 321-242-3642, Twitter.com/jdgallop or jdgallop@floridatoday.com.