NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Rockaway Beach was closed Tuesday after a woman was bitten by a shark and critically injured there Monday in the first reported shark attack in the city in years—and another sighting on Long Island quickly closed Jones Beach.
Rockaway Beach will be closed for swimming and surfing Tuesday as a safety precaution, the city Parks Department said. Parks Enforcement and the NYPD will patrol the beach to keep swimmers out of the water. The FDNY and NYPD will also do aerial surveillance to monitor for sharks.
Hours after officials announced the closure of Rockaway Beach, Jones Beach was also closed because of a shark sighting.
State parks officials confirmed the main stretch of Jones Beach—including the Central Mall, East Bathhouse and West Bathhouse—was closed to swimming and surfing following the sighting about 10 yards off the Central Mall.
Meanwhile, the 65-year-old victim in the attack was upgraded to serious but stable condition as she continued to recover at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center following the terrifying encounter off the Rockaways.
She was swimming near Beach 59th Street at 5:50 p.m. when a shark bit off part of her left leg, causing severe bleeding, officials said.
Parks Department lifeguards removed her from the water and administered first aid before EMS rushed her to the hospital with life-threatening injuries to her thigh.
All swimmers were cleared from the water. The NYPD then canvassed the area by helicopter but didn't spot any sharks.
"We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer," a Parks Department spokesperson said. "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."
Monday's shark bite is the only one in recent memory at Rockaway Beach. In fact, it's believed to be the first shark attack in the city since 1953.
Shark encounters have become more common in recent years in the New York area. A spate of shark bites and sightings on Long Island in recent summers has led to increased patrols along the South Shore.
There have been at least five instances of sharks biting swimmers and surfers at Long Island beaches this summer. There have been no fatalities.
Experts have attributed the increased encounters to factors like improved water quality and thriving populations of the bunker fish that sharks feed on.
Shark bites remain extremely rare, with only 57 unprovoked bites last year, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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