A 15-year-old surfer was taken to Flagler Hospital Thursday after being bitten on the ankle by a shark at St Augustine Beach.

Shelby Tostevin told WJXT-TV he was in waist- to chest-deep water when the shark bit him. He struck the shark with his fist and pushed it to get it off of him. Then he walked to a near-by surf shop and called his dad.

"I was lucky to get bit on the ankle, because if it was any higher up, it could have taken a piece out of me," Shelby told Channel 4's Damany Lewis.

Doctors used four stitches to close up the wound, and Shelby was home getting around on crutches by the afternoon.

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said its helicopter pilots saw lots of sharks in coastal waters on Thursday.

Shelby's mom, Donna Tostevin, wants to know why lifeguards on duty were not around to help her son.

"It's important we have people with emergency facilities standing by," Donna said.

Dave Williams from the St. Johns County Department of Recreation said they have seven trucks and 24 lifeguards patrolling their 42 miles of beaches. Williams said they didn't help Shelby because they never received a phone call.

"Anytime there is a 911 call placed for any kind of situation on the beaches, lifeguards are notified and lifeguards respond," Williams said.

Shelby said this bite will not stop him from heading back into the ocean. According to officials, Shelby received the 13th shark bite in Florida this year.