Sam Amico
Four people have been attacked by sharks while swimming off the shores of Long Island, with concerns suddenly rising in an area typically not known for sharks.
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One Long Island beach was closed for part of the day after a drone discovered more than 50 sand sharks in the vicinity. When it reopened, beachgoers were advised to take caution.
“This morning, prior to lifeguards going on duty and our authorizing swimming, we had a complete drone patrol. And right here in front of Field 3, we saw a school of sharks. There were approximately 50 sand sharks there,” Charles Gorman, New York State Parks Regional Director, told CBS New York.
None of those attacked by sharks in recent days reportedly suffered serious injuries, authorities said.
“We did have a season last year where we had six swimmers bitten from sharks, so this has turned into a bit of a concern,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison told WABC.
Some of the bites over the weekend happened within minutes of each other.
“There’s millions of sharks in the Atlantic Ocean,” said George Gorman, NYS Parks Long Island. “We have more surveillance and more capabilities through drones than we have ever seen. So we don’t know if that’s a normal occurrence, but what we do know is that there is a new normal. The sharks are coming closer to shore because the bait fish and bucket fish have been expanding and they are closer to shore.”
