A teenager was bitten Saturday morning in southern California by a shark while the boy was participating in the opening day of the diving season.

The attack took place around 6:55 am Paris time, in Encinitas, California, according to Lois Yum, head of information for the city of Encinitas. The 13-year-old boy was flown to a hospital, she said.

Yum described the attack as "non-fatal" and the beaches in the area will be closed for 48 hours.

The attack occurred at Beacon's Beach, according to a press release.

Witnesses estimated that the shark was about 11 feet in length, but the type of shark was not known, said the captain of Encinitas' rescuer, Larry Giles.

The boy was traumatized by the torso, Giles told the press. The victim was attacked in about 9 feet of water and was about 150 meters offshore, said Giles.

The boy was brought down by three passersby, according to Giles.

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"At the moment, we have not received any additional information on shark watching in the area, but we advise the public to stay out of the water," he said. Giles in a press release.

Officials are working with a marine scientist to identify the type of shark involved in the attack, the statement said.

The most recent deadly shark attack in the region took place in 2008, when a swimmer was killed on Solana Beach. A more recent attack along the Camp Pendleton coast in northern San Diego County was not fatal.

On September 15, a man died in a Cape Cod hospital after police said he was attacked by a shark off a beach in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.

California's fish and wildlife regulations state that lobster divers must use hoops or their hands to catch lobster during the lobster diving season, which began at 6 am on Saturday.

Contributor: Associated Press

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