Authorities have increased shark patrols after multiple suspected shark attacks were reported over the weekend on New York beaches.
On Tuesday, a 47-year-old man was bit in his right knee while swimming in chest-deep water off of Quogue Village Beach, Quogue police said. The bite left him with lacerations on his knee and was from a “larger marine animal” thought to be a shark.
Soon after, just 60 miles away, a 49-year-old man at Fire Island Pines reported his right hand bitten, according to Suffolk police.
They were both transported to nearby hospitals for non-life-threatening treatments. Swimmers were cautioned by Quogue police to avoid the water until authorities could evaluate the risks.
A day before, a 15-year-old boy was bit on his foot while surfing off the shores of Fire Island’s Kismet Beach, Suffolk County Police said.
Prior to that, another 15-year-old girl sustained injuries to her leg from an apparent shark bite in the waters at Robert Moses State Park, George Gorman, Long Island regional director for New York State Parks, told Newsday.
“She didn’t see what bit her, the lifeguards didn’t know what bit her, the drone operator checked the area, we didn’t see,” Gorman said. “So we can’t definitively say what bit her.”
In the same area on Tuesday morning, drones spotted a school of 50 sand sharks, causing the Long Island beach to be temporarily closed for an hour and a half, according to Gormon.
“Sand sharks are very common off of Long Island,” Gorman said, noting that the large school was not a rare sight, but that “individuals are more common.”
Despite the recent attacks making headlines, the risk of encountering a shark attack remains low. In 2022, there were 57 unprovoked cases worldwide, with five being fatal.
The police department has advised beachgoers to continue enjoying themselves but has cautioned swimmers to exercise caution and keep an eye out for sharks or schools of fish that can attract predators.
