NEW YORK – As more people head to the beaches, a community on Long Island is taking action to keep swimmers safe after the sighting of a massive shark.
In part this is also because it is during this time of year that sharks begin to arrive in areas frequented by humans.
Just Monday, beach patrols at Lido Beach said there was a shark sighting not far from Point Lookout, just north of the Loop Parkway bridge. Jones Beach lifeguards say it was actually a fisherman who spotted the 10-foot shark, very close to shore, having trouble finding its way. The fisherman apparently called local authorities in the town of Hempstead Bay, but when authorities arrived, the shark was able to swim away into open water without incident.
In recent years, organizations have been researching different types of sharks in this area and have found that some of the youngsters tend to arrive in our region at this time of year, starting in May, and spend the entire summer swimming.
Last year, several Long Island beaches had to close after sharks were spotted just offshore. If that happens again, you’ll see red flags light up, alerting people to the presence of sharks to keep swimmers safe.
The City of Hempstead Bay will also deploy shark patrols on Friday morning and provide advice to beachgoers through a simulated rescue demonstration by lifeguards. The idea is to continue to educate people on what to do if they see a shark and what to do if an attack is going to happen.
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