Within the span of a day following two reported shark bites at popular beaches in New York, two individuals have seemingly fallen victim to shark attacks.
Following the detection of approximately 50 sand sharks near a popular beach park in New York, the opening of at least one beach was delayed on Tuesday. Swimmers were subsequently instructed to remain near the shore upon the beach’s reopening. However, the beach had to be temporarily closed again due to a potential shark sighting, which was later identified as a dolphin.
On Tuesday, two separate shark attacks occurred around 60 miles apart on Long Island beaches, both transpiring shortly before 2 p.m. local time (7 p.m. UK time). At Quogue Village beach, a 47-year-old man experienced an apparent bite to his right knee while he was in chest-deep water. Although the man did not witness a shark, as a precautionary measure, police advised swimmers to refrain from entering the water until authorities could assess the situation.
Shortly thereafter, a 49-year-old man reported being bitten on the hand while swimming off Fire Island Pines. This incident occurred in close proximity to another shark bite incident the previous day, in which a 15-year-old boy was bitten on the foot while surfing.
On Monday, a 15-year-old girl received medical attention for a suspected shark bite on her leg.
Long Island State Parks regional director George Gorman told the local paper Newsday: “She didn’t see what bit her, the lifeguards didn’t know what bit her, the drone operator checked the area, we didn’t see.
“So we can’t definitively say what bit her.”
In response to a series of attacks last year, state parks officials have taken proactive measures to enhance safety. They have escalated patrols and deployed additional drones to monitor the waters, effectively scanning for potential hazards.
“We did have a season last year where we had six swimmers bitten from sharks, so this has turned into a bit of a concern,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison told local news television station WABC.