Swimmer hurt in suspected shark bite at Jones Beach
Officials briefly halted swimming after a person suffered foot cuts at Jones Beach, where a search found no sharks or other dangerous marine life.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
A swimmer suffered foot injuries Friday at Jones Beach State Park in what officials treated as a possible shark bite, prompting a short suspension of swimming, The Associated Press reported. The incident came as extreme heat in the eastern United States sent crowds toward beaches and as officials reported shark sightings elsewhere in New York waters, according to AP.
The swimmer was in the water at Field 6 at Jones Beach, in Nassau County, when they sustained lacerations to the foot, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation told AP. Lifeguards responded at once, and an ambulance took the person to a hospital, the state office said.
The injuries were not considered life-threatening, according to the state parks office cited by AP. Officials stopped swimming while they looked for sharks and other dangerous marine life in the area, the office said.
After about an hour, the search had not found any sharks or other hazardous marine animals, the state office told AP. Swimming then resumed with limits: beachgoers were allowed only to wade in water up to their waists, according to the department.
Other New York beaches reported sightings
The Jones Beach incident followed reports of sharks at other New York beaches, AP reported. New York City officials said Thursday that Rockaway Beach in Queens had multiple shark sightings, leading to intermittent closures.
New York City Emergency Management also issued a warning tied to those closures, AP reported. The agency advised beachgoers to follow lifeguard instructions, according to AP.
Farther east on Long Island, lifeguards saw a shark Thursday off Point Lookout, AP reported. People were ordered out of the water immediately, and Point Lookout and nearby Hempstead beaches were temporarily closed to swimming after the sighting, according to AP.
Heat and patrols shape beach response
The closures occurred during a period of record-breaking heat across the eastern United States, AP reported. The heat was drawing large crowds to area beaches, according to AP.
AP reported that shark sightings have become more frequent as authorities use more drones to scan coastal waters. Experts cited by AP say sharks are common off U.S. shores, while shark bites remain rare.
Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History’s shark research program, told AP that there are 60 to 80 known unprovoked shark bites worldwide each year. Naylor also told AP that it is extremely rare for two or more people to be bitten near one another.
AP said its report was updated to clarify that the Jones Beach incident happened in Nassau County and to attribute information about the incident to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.