The beach of Rockaway Beach, one of the most iconic in New York that extends in the borough of Queens, has been closed by the authorities to both bathers and surfers after the attack of a shark registered yesterday, according to the Department of Parks in charge of the management of the beaches. This aggression is the first in 70 years in the city, being the last known in 1953.
Police will patrol the beach to force all bathers to stay out of the water, while aerial surveillance is carried out in search of sharks in the area.
This was due to the attack of a 65-year-old woman, Tatyana Toltunyuk, when she was standing near the shore, without swimming. The shark took a surprise bite on her left leg and made her fall into the water after feeling sharp pain, according to a police spokesman. After applying a tourniquet, which saved her from losing her leg, she was immediately transferred to the hospital in the Jamaica neighborhood where her condition is "stable within gravity".
The police recalled that "although it is a terrifying event, shark attacks are extremely rare," and said that every time a shark is seen, surveillance measures are increased.
Already on the weekend of July 4, three swimmers and a surfer reported shark attacks, all of a mild nature, which caused the authorities to deploy drones with cameras to constantly monitor the presence of these animals.
Rockaway Beach, due to its proximity to Brooklyn and Manhattan, is one of the most accessible beaches for New Yorkers, and in fact it can be reached by subway line.
The sighting of this type of animal had multiplied in recent months, to the point of pushing the authorities to patrol the coast with drones as a precautionary measure.
- United States
- New York
- Beaches
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