Man treated for suspected shark bite at Jones Beach Field 6
Jones Beach Field 6 on Friday, where officials say a person was treated for a suspected shark bite. Credit: Newsday/John Asbury
Paramedics treated a man for a suspected shark bite Friday afternoon near Jones Beach's Field 6, a state parks official told Newsday.
The man suffered what appeared to be a bite to his foot, said George Gorman, state parks regional director for Long Island. Lifeguards and paramedics treated the man at about noon on Friday, Gorman said.
The man was taken as a precaution to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow to be treated for injuries. The gash on the man's foot appeared to have bite marks from shark teeth, park emergency medical technicians determined, according to Gorman. The injuries were not believed to be life threatening, officials said.
The water was cleared for an hour as patrols surveyed the area with jet skis and boats stationed in the water for the FourLeaf Airshow at Jones Beach, Gorman said.
After an hour, swimmers were allowed back in the water but were asked to wade about waist-deep close to shore.
No sharks had been spotted in the water this week, Gorman said. There were more than 100,000 visitors at Jones Beach on Friday, he added.
On Thursday, shark sightings led to temporary closures at Town of Hempstead beaches in Point Lookout and Lido Beach, and at Rockaway Beach in Queens.
In an emailed statement, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said that a park visitor was "bit by unknown marine wildlife."
"The incident is under investigation," the statement said.
Swimmers at Jones Beach Field 6 said they saw a man emerge from the water bleeding from his foot.
Adalynne Dery, 11, of Glastonbury, Conn., was swimming with her family and said she saw a man crawling out of the water and brought to shore by lifeguards.
"He said something bit me, and he was bleeding from his foot," Adalynne said.
Lifeguards bandaged his foot and carried him to an ambulance, Adalynne and her mother, Cherie Dery said.
Cherie Dery said lifeguards told swimmers to remain knee-deep in the water until swimming resumed.
It wasn’t until after the attack that she said she heard of a 9-foot shark spotted Thursday off Point Lookout Beach in Hempstead. A same-sized sand shark was spotted at Lido Beach.
Tiffany and Michael Graziano, of South Setauket, saw lifeguards treating the man near the lifeguard stand.
Tiffany Graziano said the man’s foot was bleeding and a lifeguard used his shirt as a tourniquet.
“It was a calm situation," she said.
Graziano said she was not afraid of sharks but was keeping her distance.
“That’s their home and this is mine,” she said, while standing on the beach. “I like sharks, but I don't need to be swimming in their home.”
Beginning Friday morning, parts of Rockaway Beach were closed again after sharks were spotted by drones, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation said in an email.
Newsday's Robert Brodsky and Sam Kmack contributed to this story.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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