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FromMartina Lippl
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A New York beach is closed after a shark attack. The victim had been swimming alone in the sea – then lifeguards heard screams.
New York – A bloody drama took place on an urban beach in New York (USA). A swimmer (65) was bitten by a shark while swimming and seriously injured. Police helicopters are patrolling the coast and scanning the sea for sharks, the New York Parks Department said. It’s the first shark attack on Rockaway Beach in decades.
Location | New York (United States) |
---|---|
Beach | Rockaway Beach 59th Street |
incident | shark attack |
last known incident | Around 70 years ago |
Bloody drama on the popular New York beach: Shark attacks swimmer
Lifeguards heard a woman scream for help on Beach 59th Street. Then they pulled a 65-year-old girl out of the sea onto the shore. A shark bit the woman on her left leg. Above the knee, the swimmer was “about 20 pounds (about 9 kg) short,” reports the New York Post. The lifeguards put on a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
The shark victim was taken to a hospital. Her condition is stable but critical. Recordings are circulating on the Internet that show a serious injury to the woman. However, it is not possible to say with certainty whether the wound was actually that severe.
Shark alert in New York after attack on swimmer
According to the police, the surprising shark attack was reported at 5:49 p.m. on Monday (8 August). After the tragic incident, there is an absolute ban on bathing on the beaches of the metropolis. Swimming and surfing are taboo. Patrols are out to keep swimmers out of the water, according to the New York Parks Department. First of all, it is still unclear how long the bathing ban will last. Rockaway Beach in the borough of Queens is about 15 kilometers from Manhattan. The beach on the Atlantic is particularly busy at weekends. Shark attacks in this area are rare – at least so far. In the Mediterranean, on the other hand, a striking dorsal fin from a shark caused fear and terror among bathers at the beginning of the summer.
Shark alert in New York: First known shark bite since 1953
“We hope for a full recovery of this swimmer,” Parks Authority spokeswoman Meghan Lalor said in a statement to the New York Times according to “Although this was a scary event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites are extremely rare in Rockaway.” It was the first known shark bite since 1953.
Is there a shark problem in New York?
Experts consider the shark bite to be extraordinary. “I don’t think I’ve heard of an injury like this in our waters in my history, even though I’ve worked with sharks for 30 years,” said Hans Walters, a field researcher at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium New York Times. “The injury itself is unusual.”
In his opinion, the shark attack should not make people give up their visits to the beach. Rather, the incident was intended to remind them that “our city borders on the homeland of sharks.”
However, shark attacks near New York are not that uncommon. Several “shark encounters” have been reported on New York beaches in recent months. During the July 4 holiday, five people were bitten near Long Island, including a 15-year-old boy. A 47-year-old was bitten on the knee – according to the police by a larger sea creature.
Attack on New York Beach: Was it a Great White Shark?
The teeth marks on the leg wounds of the latest Rockaway Beach victim appear to indicate a bull or thresher shark, the report said New York Post citing an insider. However, a possible encounter with a great white shark could not be ruled out.
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After a shark attack on the beach – the no-bathing zone has been extended
After the shark attack, the bathing ban was extended to beaches further east from Rockaway Beach towards Long Island on Tuesday, local media reports. A shark may have been spotted at Jones Beach State Park. A lifeguard discovered a shark about 10 meters from the beach in the water on Tuesday, according to the news portal longisland.news12com. According to the park administration, the coast is constantly monitored by surveillance drones.
Shark alert in New York: Predatory fish are apparently currently hunting off the coast
Officials monitoring the coast spotted large schools of bait and bunker fish after several possible shark sightings. “We’ve seen sharks feeding about 300 to 400 feet away,” said Alex Goodman of the New York State Park Police. After the shark attack in Rockway, controls were tightened. According to the director of the New York park administration, the bathing ban will only be lifted if no more sharks have been sighted for several hours and the schools of fish have gone out to sea.
Shark are fascinating sea creatures. On an expedition, researchers spotted the world’s largest shark and filmed “Deep Blue,” as the animal is called. (ml)
List of rubrics: © IMAGO/Deccio Serrano
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