A 50-year-old woman is in stable condition after suffering a shark bite on her left leg while swimming on Beach 59th Street in Rockaway Beach on Monday, Aug. 7.
Photo by John Schilling
A 50-year-old woman is in stable condition after suffering a shark bite on her left leg while swimming on Beach 59th Street in Rockaway Beach on Monday evening, according to FDNY officials.
The incident was first reported at 5:52 p.m on Aug. 7, when the woman, who was swimming alone, began calling out for help, according to the FDNY. After lifeguards removed the woman from the water, first responders applied a tourniquet to her leg and provided further first aid before transporting her to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition.
“We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer,” NYC Parks Media Relations Director Meghan Lalor released in a statement. “Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites in Rockaway are extremely rare. We remain vigilant in monitoring the beach and always clear the water when a shark is spotted.”
Since yesterday’s incident, FDNY officials and doctors have confirmed the woman is now in stable condition with a serious, non-life threatening injury. As a result, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation announced Rockaway Beach would be closed on Tuesday to swimmers and surfers.
“As a safety precaution, Rockaway Beach will be closed to swimming & surfing today, Aug. 8, due to recent shark activity,” NYC Parks released in a statement. “Parks Enforcement & NYPD will be on patrol to keep swimmers out of the water. FDNY & NYPD will be doing aerial surveillance to monitor for sharks.”
After the incident yesterday, the NYPD’s Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU) flew drones over the water near Beach 59th Street. Early this morning, helicopters flew up and down the beach to monitor the area for further shark activity.
The Aug. 7 incident marks the first documented “shark attack” in New York City…
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