Shark attacks Florida boy swimming at Cocoa Beach

COCOA BEACH, Fl. (WPVI) -- A Florida boy is recovering Monday morning after a shark attacked him at Cocoa Beach.

The 10-year-old was swimming in waist-deep water when a lifeguard noticed the boy in distress, authorities said. The boy was bitten at least twice in the leg in what officials are calling one of the worst attacks there in years.

Witness photos show the boy receiving treatment on the beach before being airlifted to the hospital.

Cocoa Beach, which reopened to swimmers Monday, is one of Florida's most popular summer vacation spots, but the state is also shark attack capital of the world. Last month, two sharks attacked on Florida beaches on the same day, both in shallow water.

With the shark population up an estimated 42 percent over the last 15 years, sightings are also becoming increasingly common.