Shark attacks boy at Neptune Beach, Florida

(CNN)A 13-year-old boy was hurt badly in a shark attack at a Florida beach on Sunday afternoon, police said.

The incident took place in Neptune Beach about 2:55 p.m.

The boy and his stepfather were swimming in chest-deep water when he was attacked, suffering an 8-inch bite behind his right knee and the top of his calf, Neptune Beach police spokesman Michael Key said.

The injuries were serious but not life-threatening, Key said, and the boy was taken to UF Health Jacksonville.

"He was pulled out by bystanders," Key said. "The closest lifeguard tower called it in and a lifeguard truck was the first to respond."

It was the first attack of the season, Key said.