Four Swimmers Attacked By Sharks On New York Beaches
For the second straight summer, July has started out like a scene from "Jaws" on New York beaches. Four swimmers were attacked and bitten over the past holiday weekend.
As beachgoers flocked to the white sands on the south shore of Long Island, so did the finned predators of the ocean, so much, that some New York beaches were shut down for periods of time.
According to multiple reports by newsday.com, the frenzy began on Monday, when a 15-year-old girl was treated for shark bites on her left leg. The attack happened about 1:45pm at Robert Moses State Park, according to state officials. Then it was reported that about 5 p.m. on the same day, a 15-year-old boy was attacked in the waters off Kismet beach while surfing.
The article said that Peter Banculli of North Babylon, NY was able to swim to shore, where he received medical attention. Newsday reported that the boy was bitten on the ankle and had a puncture wound on his calf. “It happened so fast,” told newsday.com. "I started to shout and panic to my friend. He thought I was kidding until he saw the tail on it. I never felt so much pain in my foot before, and my friend saw the shark; he said it was pretty big. I didn’t really notice that I had been bitten really bad because I was in so much shock, and then I realized how big and deep the cuts really were." There were 8 shark attacks in 2022 off the beaches of New York. Prior to that, only 12 had been reported in 200 years. Now 2023 starts out with four.
The third attack involved a 49-year old man was bitten in the hand while swimming off of Fire Island's Pine Beach on Tuesday afternoon. It was the second bite in that area over the last few days. Later on in the day, a 47-year old man was bitten in the knee, off Quogue Village Beach. Will the recent frenzy keep some beachgoers out of the water? Jen Robbins from Bay Shore told newsday.com, “There have been more and more shark sightings on Long Island the last couple of years. It’s definitely a concern. I might get my feet wet but I’m definitely not going in.” How about you? Will you be swimming in the ocean in that area anytime soon?