Woman critically injured by rare shark bite off NYC’s Rockaway Beach

NEW YORK — A girl was critically injured when a shark bit her on the leg whereas she was swimming at a New York Metropolis seaside, officers mentioned.

The 50-year-old girl was swimming off Rockaway Seashore simply earlier than 6 p.m. Monday when a shark bit her on the left leg, the town parks division mentioned in a press release.

Lifeguards pulled the girl from the water and administered first assist. The lady was taken to Jamaica Hospital in crucial however steady situation with extreme lacerations to her thigh, a police spokesperson mentioned.

Lifeguards cleared all swimmers from the water, and the police used a helicopter to go looking the world for sharks however didn’t discover any, the parks division mentioned.

Rockaway Seashore was closed to swimming and browsing on Tuesday as a precaution.

Specialists say shark bites are extraordinarily uncommon, with solely 57 unprovoked bites final 12 months, in accordance with the College of Florida’s Worldwide Shark Assault File.

The shark chew occurred amid an increase in shark sightings at New York Metropolis and Lengthy Island seashores as a result of components together with improved water high quality and thriving populations of the bunker fish that sharks feed on.

Monday’s shark chew at Rockaway Seashore was the primary reported in latest reminiscence, the parks division mentioned.

There have been no less than 5 situations of sharks biting swimmers and surfers at Lengthy Island seashores this summer time. There have been no fatalities.