NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- A 69-year-old New Smyrna man has become the 10th shark bite victim in as many days.

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William Goettel was bitten on the foot late this afternoon, but the wound isn't severe. He was in four feet of water at the 27th Avenue approach, several miles south of the closed area. Nobody, including the victim, saw the shark.

However, beach patrol said that the bite is consistent with a shark bite. Goettel indicated that he had a medical background and would go home and bandage it himself.

Earlier Monday, the beach patrol again spotted sharks in a section of water near the inlet. That area has been closed to the public since late Wednesday afternoon.

One surfer decided to go in the water anyway. The beach patrol warned him to come out, but he didn't. He could have been arrested, but beach patrol officials said that, knowing sharks were out there, they weren't going to put their officers at risk to make the arrest.

Beach officials in Volusia County are continuing to keep a close watch on sharks off the coast.

Officials decided early Monday afternoon to keep a 1-mile stretch of New Smyrna Beach south of Ponce Inlet closed to swimmers, but it does not appear that they'll enforce the closure.

There have been 19 shark bites so far this year, more than the previous record of 18 in 1996.