A major New York beach was closed on Tuesday following an unprecedented shark attack that left a 50-year-old woman hospitalized in critical condition.
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation stated that although this event was alarming, shark attacks in Rockaway are extremely rare. They assured the public that the beach remains under vigilant monitoring, with water clearance whenever a shark is spotted.
Rockaway Beach will remain off-limits for swimming and surfing on Tuesday due to recent shark activity. Parks Enforcement and the New York City Police Department will be present to prevent swimmers from entering the water. Aerial surveillance of the beach will be conducted by the New York City Fire Department and NYPD to monitor for any shark presence.
Prior to this incident, there had been no recent reports of shark bites at Rockaway Beach. On Monday around 5:50 p.m., a woman swimming at Beach 59th Street in Rockaway sustained a shark bite on her left leg. Lifeguards promptly attended to her and provided first aid. The injured woman was transported to Jamaica Hospital by EMS and was initially in critical condition.
As of Tuesday morning, her condition is now deemed serious but not life-threatening. Following the attack, lifeguards cleared the water, and an NYPD helicopter conducted a post-incident scan, but no sharks were observed.
Officials confirmed that the 50-year-old woman had suffered a shark bite to her leg and was taken to Jamaica Hospital on Monday evening. It's believed she might have been surfing when the attack occurred, and she was unconscious when first responders arrived, possibly due to blood loss or shock.
Monday night saw police deploying drones over the beach where the incident took place. NYC Parks participate in a shark communication network spanning the Atlantic coast, from the Hamptons to Sandy Hook. This network enables them to share information about abnormal conditions, including sharks near the shore and unusual objects washing up.
