A fisherman on a birthday trip in Florida suffered serious injuries to his leg over the weekend while posing with a large shark for a photo after he and his friends caught the animal.

The encounter took place on the barrier island of Cayo Costa in southwest Florida, Boca Grande District Fire Chief C.W. Blosser confirmed to USA TODAY on Aug. 21.

Cayo Costa is in Lee County west of Naples.

According to Blosser, the man was taken to a hospital to be treated after the shark bit his leg during the Aug. 16 incident that occurred just before 11 p.m. ET.

Two 911 calls alerted authorities of the shark bite, reported the Fort Meyers News-Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

"We caught a lemon shark. ... We just took the hook out," 48-year-old Shawn Meuse said. "We're getting ready to r

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