Surfer bitten, likely by shark, off North Carolina coast

RODANTHE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A shark is believed to have bit a 26-year-old man while he surfed along the Outer Banks on Monday afternoon, according to Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

The Manteo man was surfing near Sudie Payne Road in Rodanthe when something bit his foot.

He told officials he never saw what bit him, but investigators currently believe it was a shark.

WATCH: How to know if you're swimming near a shark

The average number of bites off the North Carolina coast is one to two per year. Here are several ways you can spot a shark in the water.

The surfer was taken to the hospital, but he is expected to be OK.

Officials said four people were bitten by sharks off the North Carolina coast in 2019, including New Bern teen Paige Winter.