A shark attack on Rockaway Beach in New York left a 50-year-old woman critically injured, as reported by the New York City Fire Department. The unexpected incident led to the closure of a major New York beach on Tuesday. The woman, who was hospitalized, lost a significant amount of flesh due to the severe bite.
The New York Post revealed that the woman had a large portion of her left thigh missing. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, in a statement to Fox News, expressed their hopes for the woman’s full recovery. They emphasized that such incidents are extremely rare in Rockaway and assured the public of their continued vigilance in monitoring the beach.
Due to the recent shark activity, Rockaway Beach was closed for swimming and surfing on Tuesday. The beach was patrolled by Parks Enforcement and the New York City Police Department to prevent swimmers from entering the water. Aerial surveillance was also conducted by the New York City Fire Department and NYPD to monitor for sharks.
Prior to this incident, there were no reports of shark bites on Rockaway Beach. The woman was bitten by a shark while swimming at Beach 59th Street in Rockaway around 5:50 p.m. on Monday. Lifeguards promptly removed her from the water and administered first aid before she was transported to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition.
As of Tuesday morning, her condition was reported to be serious but non-life threatening. Meanwhile, a possible shark sighting was reported at Jones Beach State Park on Long Island, leading to a swimming prohibition in the Central Mall area of the beach.
Following the incident at Rockaway, lifeguards cleared all beachgoers from the water. NYPD conducted a helicopter search but did not spot any sharks. The woman, who was possibly surfing at the time of the attack, was unconscious due to blood loss or shock when first responders arrived, according to FOX 5 NY.
Police used drones to survey Rockaway Beach, where the attack occurred, in an attempt to locate the shark. NYC Parks are part of a shark communication network that spans the Atlantic coast, alerting each other of any unusual conditions, including sharks near the shore or strange objects washing ashore.