Rockaway Beach closed to swimming and surfing Tuesday after woman seriously hurt in shark attack
NEW YORK -- Rockaway Beach will be closed to swimming and surfing Tuesday after police say a woman was bitten by a shark there Monday night.
"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," the Parks Department tweeted.
As a safety precaution, Rockaway Beach will be closed to swimming & surfing today, August 8, due to recent shark activity. 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.
— NYC Parks (@NYCParks) August 8, 2023
The 65-year-old woman remains hospitalized with serious injuries. Beachgoers looked on in disbelief Monday night, as she was taken to Jamaica Hospital.
Before this attack, there were no reports of shark bites at Rockaway Beach in recent memory.
Watch Ali Bauman's report
Police were seen flying drones over the beach, where the woman was bit on the leg just before 6 p.m. near Beach 59th Street.
"I just see a lot of people just stand up instantly, automatically, and then instantly going back all the way to the boardwalk," witness Justin Duffy said.
EMTs brought the woman in an ambulance to the hospital.
"The lady's on the stretcher. She's bleeding on the leg," a witness said.
That person said the woman was awake but seemed to be in shock.
"I see one big bite and one little one," the person said.
"That's crazy, though. I can't believe someone got attacked," surfer Yaan Vessial said.
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Far Rockaway locals said they were surprised to hear of a shark attack at the beach because the water is usually pretty barren.
"There's nothing here. You don't really see any fish. It's just sand, like a big desert under there," Vessial said.
"Finding out about the shark bite. That blew my mind," said Colin Smith of Far Rockaway.
There have already been at least five reported shark attacks at New York beaches this summer. Last year, there were at least eight reported shark attacks in the state.
The city Parks Department issued the following statement:
"We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer. 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."