Shark may have bitten lifeguard who ‘saw a fin’ in the water, Long Island officials say
.jpg "A possible shark attack closed a Long Island beach in New York after a lifeguard suffered a bite to the leg, officials say.")
A lifeguard bitten on the leg at a Long Island beach Monday says he “saw a fin” in the water, suggesting a possible shark attack, New York officials say.
The 11 a.m. incident closed Jones Beach State Park to swimmers for several hours, WABC reported. The beach reopened at 2 p.m. after drone flights detected no sharks.
The lifeguard suffered the 1-inch gash to his right leg while body surfing, Gothamist reported.
Medics treated his injury on the beach and advised him to go to a hospital, WPIX reported.
“It did kind of freak me out,” said beachgoer Jeancarlos Cruz, Gothamist reported. “Sharks on the water, you never know if they’ll come back or if they’ll bite anyone.”
“Jones Beach is like a scene out of Jaws right now,” read one post on Twitter, with a photo of people standing on the sand eyeing the ocean. “Nobody going in the water because of a shark scare.”
Other sharks have been sighted at nearby beaches over the past several days, WABC reported.
This story was originally published July 27, 2021 at 9:29 AM with the headline "Shark may have bitten lifeguard who ‘saw a fin’ in the water, Long Island officials say."