NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. - Officials say a 13-year-old boy was badly hurt in a shark attack at a Florida beach on Sunday afternoon.

The attack took place in Neptune Beach just before 3 p.m.

Neptune Beach Police said the boy and his stepfather were swimming in chest-deep water when he was attacked. He suffered a bite measuring 8 inches behind his right knee and top of his calf.

While the injuries were serious, law enforcement said they were not life-threatening. The boy was taken to UF Health in Jacksonville.

“He was pulled out by bystanders,” Neptune Beach Police Department spokesman Michael Key said. “The closest lifeguard tower called it in and a lifeguard truck was the first to respond."

Key went on to say Sunday’s attack was the first of the busy beach season.