A 50-year-old woman was bitten by a shark while swimming at Rockaway Beach in New York City on Monday evening, prompting the closure of the popular beach on Tuesday, according to officials.
The woman was swimming near Beach 59th Street when a shark bit her leg, the New York City Parks Department said. Lifeguards brought her to shore, administered first aid, and she was taken to hospital. She is in critical but stable condition with a deep cut to her thigh.
This is the first confirmed shark bite at Rockaway Beach in recent memory, the parks department stated. 'We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer. Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites in Rockaway are extremely rare,' the department said in a statement.
New York has seen a rise in shark encounters off Long Island this summer. Experts attribute this to warming waters from climate change and a state law protecting bunker fish, a primary food source for sharks. Governor Kathy Hochul has deployed more drones to scan for sharks near the shore.
Helicopters searched the waters after Monday's incident but found no sharks. The beach will remain closed to swimmers and surfers on Tuesday, with fire and police departments continuing to monitor the area.
According to the International Shark Attack File, New York had only eight unprovoked shark bites in 2022, none fatal. Experts emphasise that shark attacks are extremely rare.
