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Shark sightings and a potential attack have forced beachgoers in New York out of the water this week.
New York state parks department officials said Tuesday that they would use drones and helicopters to surveil Long Island beaches for the creatures after a lifeguard said he was bitten by something near Central Mall on Monday morning.
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In a release, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said that it would work together with New York State Police, increasing staffing and deploying patrol and surfboats to monitor the area.
"Long Island beaches are a crucial resource for New Yorkers in summer, and we must make sure people feel safe when visiting," State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said. "With assistance from New York State Police, we are expanding our measures to patrol for sharks and other potentially dangerous marine animals. I encourage all New Yorkers to familiarize themselves with the steps they can take to stay safe while enjoying a day at the beach."
The department noted that additional sightings had been reported at Jones Beach in the past week, including one on Tuesday, and that the investigation into Monday's incident was ongoing.
A photo from WNBC's Pei-Sze Cheng shows an injury on the lifeguard's left calf and George Gorman Jr., the regional director for the state park system, said the lifeguard "felt a tug and then he saw a fin" at around 11 a.m. ET that day.
The station reported that the lifeguard was treated at the scene before moving to a nearby hospital for "further examination."
Both WNBC and PIX11 said that the second sighting happened on Tuesday morning just after 11 a.m. ET, prompting an order for swimmers to get out of the water.
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According to PIX11, there were 20 confirmed shark sightings at Long Island beaches in the summer of 2020.
In June, a 900-pound white shark nicknamed "Freya" was seen off the coast of Long Island and the New Jersey shoreline.
According to National Geographic, the recovery of shark prey species is leading to an increase in shark bites around the world, rising from 157 incidents between 1970 and 1979 to almost 800 between 2010 and 2019.
In 2020, the U.S. experienced 33 unprovoked shark bites, the most in the world.
The state parks department assured that it will continue to follow shark alert protocols including suspending swimming while shores are inspected by drones.
"Swimming is only allowed to resume at least an hour after the last sighting. All sightings, including today's incident, are referred to the Long Island Coastal Awareness Group, which consists of 160 municipalities, agencies and private beach operators stretching from Queens through Long Island," the department wrote. "State Parks created this alert system in 2018 after shark interactions off Fire Island. State Park lifeguards are continuously scanning and patrolling the waters and are on the lookout for any dangerous marine life, such as sharks."
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To minimize the risk of shark interactions, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation advises that residents avoid areas with seals, schools of bait fish, areas with people fishing, murky water and isolation.
Additionally, the department recommends swimmers avoid swimming in the ocean at dusk, dawn or at night, swim close to shore in shallow water, follow the instructions of lifeguards and staff and adhere to all important signage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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