Rockaway Beach Closed Due to Fourth Consecutive Day of Shark Sightings

Shark Sightings Close Rockaway Beach

• 🦈 A section of Rockaway Beach was shut down on Sunday due to a shark sighting, marking the fourth consecutive day of such incidents.
• 📍 Officials closed the beach for one hour, covering approximately one mile in each direction from where the shark was spotted by FDNY drones near Beach 102nd Street around 2:30 p.m.

Increased Monitoring and Safety Measures

• 🚁 Drone technology has been actively used by city agencies for three years to monitor marine life and ensure swimmer safety.
• ⚠️ While there have been no reported incidents of swimmers being harmed by sharks at Rockaway Beach, the repeated sightings have led to caution.
• 💬 Some beachgoers expressed concern, with one stating they would not enter the water when sharks are known to be present.

Recent Incidents and Protocols

• 📅 Multiple shark sightings have occurred at Rockaway Beach over the past week, including a video shared by city leaders showing a shark dangerously close to swimmers on Saturday.
• 🚨 Sightings also occurred on Thursday and Friday, the latter being the 4th of July.
• 🤕 These events follow a likely shark bite incident on June 25th at Jones Beach, where a 20-year-old woman required stitches.