New York beach closed to swimmers after shark bites woman

The Independent

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.

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.

Transcript

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