GALVESTON, Texas – A man was bitten by a shark Thursday morning near Crystal Beach.
According to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office, the man, who is in his 40s and from the Alvin area, was bitten above the knee on his right leg at around 10 a.m.
He was swimming off a sandbar off Bolivar Peninsula near Stingray Road when he was bitten, according to deputies.
A photo of the man's leg showed at least six bloody gashes from the teeth of the shark.
WARNING: Graphic photo. Click here to see the unblurred version of the photo.
For regular beachcombers, it’s not a surprise that there are sharks in the water here. They come to the spot off of Stingaree Drive along Crystal Beach to search for sharks’ teeth.
“We found about 20 right here at Stingaree Road,” said Michelle Mackey.
“It's always surprising,” Mackey said of the shark attack. “But, I know they're out there cause we see them now and then.”
Some beachgoers were warned by Galveston County sheriff’s deputies to be careful.
“I didn't know there was a shark attack down here, but he just said be careful for sharks,” said Tyler Maresh who had gone to Crystal Beach to go ATV riding.
A warning some people decided to heed.
“I think I'm going to stay out of the water,” Kendall Starcher said.
For Mackey, she prefers to keep her search for shark's teeth on dry land.
“I'll stay at the waters’ edge,” Mackey said.
Authorities say the Alvin man was in stable condition when he was taken to UTMB-Galveston for treatment.
Last month, a woman claimed she was bitten by a shark while surfing off Galveston beach.