Popular beaches in New York City were forced to close down for parts of the busy Fourth of July holiday weekend due to repeated shark sightings.
The always busy Rockaway Beach in Queens had sightings not once, but twice over the course of the weekend. The first sighting was on Friday, followed soon after by another pop-up in the waters Saturday evening.
Kaz Daughtry, the city’s deputy mayor for public safety, said two sharks were spotted around 11:30 a.m. on Independence Day near Beach 32nd Street.
“These sightings were very close to beachgoers. But thanks to drone tech, lifeguards, and the dedicated professionals at @nycemergencymgt, we’re keeping everyone safe as they enjoy the holiday,” Daughtry said on X.
B30 was briefly closed for about one hour on Friday.
A little more than 24 hours later, Daughtry said a shark was spotted again at Rockaway — this time “100 feet from swimmers near Beach 113.” That shark was seen around 6 p.m.
“The shark was last seen swimming back into open waters. The beach is now closed for the day,” he said Saturday.
Down the coastline, state officials believe a 20-year-old was bitten by a juvenile shark back on June 25 at Jones Beach State Park on Long Island.
The woman suffered minor cuts to her left leg and foot.
