New York beach closed to swimmers after shark bites woman
Rockaway Beach in New York has been closed to swimmers and surfers after a 50-year-old woman was bitten on the leg by a shark on Monday evening (7 August).
Authorities said the woman was in a serious but stable condition following the encounter.
She was assisted by officers who applied a tourniquet on her wound, according to the NYPD’s public information office.
Police have been using drones and a helicopter to search for the shark but have not yet been successful.
Authorities said the woman was in a serious but stable condition following the encounter.
She was assisted by officers who applied a tourniquet on her wound, according to the NYPD’s public information office.
Police have been using drones and a helicopter to search for the shark but have not yet been successful.
Transcript
00:00 We're going to begin in Rockaway Beach,
00:02 Queens, which is now closed for
00:03 swimming and surfing after a woman
00:05 was bitten by a shark last night.
00:07 She was swimming just feet from the shore
00:10 just before 6:00 o'clock last night.
00:12 Lifeguards pulled her to safety,
00:13 but she remains in critical condition.
00:15 Richard G.
00:16 Akovis is at the beach for us right now,
00:19 with the very latest on what
00:21 unfolded here, Richard.
00:22 Chris will get to that woman's
00:26 condition in a moment, but first
00:28 reports now of a shark sighting
00:30 over at Breezy Point not too far
00:32 from here where we are at Beach
00:34 59th St in Rockaway, Queens.
00:36 This is what NYPD aviation and
00:37 terror units have been sending
00:39 droves over miles of oceans for
00:41 much of the morning and into the
00:43 afternoon looking for any shark sightings.
00:46 As for that woman,
00:47 she's a 50 year old woman who was
00:50 attacked by a shark here at Beach 59th.
00:53 Still in serious but stable condition.
00:55 The beach here at Rockaway remains closed.
00:57 All of Rockaway Beach to swimming
00:59 and surfing throughout the day.
01:01 These photos were taken just moments
01:03 after the shark bit into that woman
01:05 who was swimming like you said,
01:06 not more than 10 feet or so into the
01:09 water just before 6:00 PM last night.
01:11 Police say when first responders
01:12 came onto the scene,
01:14 the woman was unconscious,
01:15 either from blood loss or shock.
01:16 Again, that helicopter and those
01:18 drones have been up and will stay
01:20 up for most of the day if they see
01:22 any signs of a shark like they did
01:24 just a little while ago, they notify
01:26 the police and then the public is notified.
01:28 So far they have not seen.
01:30 Any others just that one that
01:32 we're getting reports of,
01:33 although it's not common lifeguards tell us
01:35 it's not unheard of to see a shark
01:37 swim that close to shore or to bite
01:39 someone thinking they have found food.
01:40 We call a case whistle.
01:43 Everybody started running to her
01:44 and we helped her out right away.
01:46 We took out of the water and
01:48 we supply pressure to her.
01:49 So we saved our lives.
01:51 So it was good.
01:52 Then policeman came and then the
01:54 pet officer came in also after that.
01:56 Then the ambulance came in.
01:58 My experience for 53 years.
02:00 Late late around 7-8 o'clock they come
02:02 in close, especially when it's high tide,
02:04 'cause the fish comes in close
02:06 and they go after them.
02:07 And that's the problem you know
02:09 you're having at that time and
02:11 they come also early in the morning,
02:13 like 5 in the morning.
02:14 They come in close to shore.
02:16 Now we're taking a live look at Sky Fox HD,
02:22 which is over Rockaway Beach just
02:23 a while ago.
02:24 Another shark was spotted in the
02:26 waters off of Breezy Point.
02:27 We're not sure what type of shark
02:29 that was or even the type of shark
02:32 that bit that 50 year old woman last night,
02:34 but authorities say they will
02:36 continue to notify the public.
02:37 And of course the Department of
02:39 Environmental Conservation.
02:40 If they see another shark,
02:41 is this uncommon?
02:42 Not really.
02:43 There were five shark attacks in one day.
02:45 The first week of July out on Long Island.
02:48 So yes, this can happen.
02:49 When does it happen like that?
02:51 It can happen in the morning hours or at
02:54 dusk when the sharks are looking for food.
02:56 So that is when swimmers should
02:58 stay out of the water,
02:59 but Rockaway Beach will stay
03:01 closed for the rest of the day.
03:02 There is no swimming and surfing here.
03:04 Will continue to update you if there
03:06 are any other shark sightings
03:07 throughout the day.
03:08 We're live at Rockaway Beach at
03:10 Beach 59th Rich Geocopas Fox 5.