Woman In Critical Condition After Rare Shark Attack in New York Beach

A woman was critically hurt after a shark bit through her leg while swimming at a beach in New York City.

According to the New York Police Department, an unnamed 50-year-old woman was swimming off Rockaway Beach when a shark allegedly attacked her at 6 p.m. on Monday, August 7.

(Photo : Mile Ribeiro)

The BBC has reported that a portion of flesh was torn from her leg by the bite, leaving a gaping hole several inches wide and deep.

Lifeguards dragged the woman from the water, offered first aid, and bandaged her leg.

She was transferred to a local hospital, where her condition was described as serious but stable.

"We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer," the city's Department of Parks and Recreation said. "Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites in Rockaway are extremely rare."

Evidence of shark bite

The tooth traces on the victim's leg wound suggested she was bitten by a bull or thresher shark; a great white encounter is also part of the consideration.

Dr. Gavin Naylor, the Program Director at the Florida Program for Shark Research, believes that it is a shark bite upon seeing the image of the victim's wound.

"Looks as though it was a fairly clean single bite with some force. You can see the spacing between the teeth," he told the New York Post.

However, he added that he needs to see the other side of the victim's leg to narrow the species down.

Experts underscored that while it's possible that the woman was bitten by a blue fish, which has razor-sharp teeth and powerful jaws, the severity of her injuries made a shark bite more likely.

A shark could have been lured to the Queens shoreline while seeking menhaden or small prey fish that congregate in huge schools, according to Gary Metzger, the South Fork Natural History Museum's Shark Research and Education Program Field Coordinator.

This incident is believed to be the first shark attack at Rockaway Beach since 1953.

In September 2017, a surfer reported a probable shark bite there, although experts indicated his wound was more likely caused by something else.

Safety precaution

Rockaway Shore was closed to swimming and surfing on Tuesday.

The Associated Press reported police flew a drone over the area, searching for indications of sharks, but they claimed they hadn't seen any sharks since the incident on Monday.

However, just 25 miles east on Long Island, officials discovered numerous sharks near the shoreline on Tuesday morning, forcing the closure of parts of Jones Beach.

Shark sightings and minor bites have increased in New York waters as the predators are driven closer to shore by a rising population of baitfish that has thrived thanks to recent conservation measures.

In the past two summers, at least 13 swimmers reported being bitten off the coast of Long Island, surpassing the total of reported bites throughout New York history prior to 2022.

However, none of the recent injuries were considered serious.

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