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Edited by: TJVNews.com
A tranquil summer evening at Rockaway Beach, Queens took a frightening turn as a 50-year-old woman suffered a “major injury” in an apparent shark attack, as was reported by the New York Post. The incident occurred near the Beach 59th Street entrance, where the woman was enjoying the water just before 6 p.m. on Monday. The Post report said that sources indicate that she sustained a significant gash on her leg, causing heavy bleeding.
Prompt emergency response proved crucial as rescuers applied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding before rushing her to Jamaica Hospital. While authorities are still investigating the incident, preliminary beliefs suggest it was a shark attack, as was reported by the Post. The FDNY confirmed their response to a patient with a “major injury” at the beach, and the NYPD’s Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU) was seen deploying a drone to assess the area.
Shark sightings have become more frequent in recent years along the shores of Queens and Long Island. According to the Post report, earlier this summer, swimmers at Rockaway Beach were temporarily evacuated from the water due to a shark sighting. In light of these incidents, the NYPD and FDNY are collaborating to deploy drones in the Rockaways to monitor the waters for shark activity, similar to measures taken at Coney Island Beach, the report added.
A member of the NYPD’s Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU) was spotted flying a drone Monday night at the beach where the woman sustained her injury.
CBS 2 reported in June that swimmers were forced to flee the water for an hour due to a shark sighting in the Hammels section of Rockaway Beach, according to the Post.
“The shark was probably 50 yards out, and they called for everybody to get out of the water,” Brooklyn resident Chip Newell told the station in June of the past sighting, as was reported by the Post.
“It was a brown fin. Definitely wasn’t a dolphin … There were a lot of helicopters here within a matter of probably 15 minutes. It was pretty crazy.”
The increase in shark sightings has sparked concern, particularly as this summer on Long Island has seen a higher frequency of reported shark attacks. Experts, however, urge caution against unnecessary panic. The Post report noted that Bradley Peterson, a professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, emphasized that while there have been several incidents, no lives have been lost or limbs severely injured. He encouraged people to “step back a little from the hysteria.”
Peterson provided insight into the behavior of sharks and other predators, explaining that they follow their prey, often driving them into shallow waters to make capture easier. As was reported by the Post, he emphasized that the majority of reported attacks result from sharks mistaking humans for their intended prey, such as schools of bunker fish.
Although the incidents have raised concerns, statistics indicate that shark bites remain relatively rare when compared to other risks. Peterson humorously noted that “there were 12,000 bites in the state of New York last year that required hospitalization and all of them came from humans,” indicating that the fear of fellow beachgoers might be misplaced, the Post noted.
As investigations into the recent shark attack continue, authorities and experts continue to work towards enhancing safety measures and education regarding coexistence with these marine creatures.
