BOCA GRANDE, Fla. (WFLA) — A person was flown to a hospital Wednesday after suffering an apparent shark bite while in the water at a southwest Florida beach.

Authorities said the incident happened near the 2200 block of Shore Lane in Boca Grande, a small costal community on Gasparilla Island.

Boca Grande Fire Department Chief C.W. Blosser III told Gulf Coast News the person’s injuries were consistent with a shark bite. However, first responders said there was no shark in the water when they arrived around noon.

The chief did not disclose the victim’s age out of respect for the family. He also declined to describe the extent of the victim’s injuries but emphasized that the injuries were severe enough to require helicopter transport to a hospital.

This is not the first time a shark attack has been reported near the island. Blosser told Gulf Coast News there have been three attacks in the area, but that “they were spread out over quite a bit of time.”

“When you get a call like that, you always hope for the best and prepare for the worst, so to speak,” the chief said.

Officials were still working to gather more information on the victim Wednesday and advised beachgoers to remain vigilant if planning to get in the water.