Hempstead Beaches Reopened After Shark Sighting, Town Officials Say

POINT LOOKOUT, NY — On a day when heat indexes reached triple digits, Town of Hempstead beachgoers had to stay out of the water thanks to an unexpected visitor: A nine-foot shark, spotted just off the coast of Point Lookout.

According to Town Supervisor John Ferretti’s office, Point Lookout and adjacent beaches were closed for swimming immediately upon the sighting, re-opened around 12:30 p.m. and closed again after a similar shark was spotted off Long Beach.

Town officials did not say what kind of shark was spotted, nor did they say if it was the same shark spotted in both incidents. In the aftermath of shark sighting, Ferretti’s office said the town deployed a Shark Patrol that used a drone and a jet ski to comb the waters for the shark.

The swimming closure came in the midst of a potentially deadly heat wave, one that is expected to continue into Fourth-of-July weekend. Experts say heat index values during the heat surge could reach between 105 and 115 degrees, with humidity exacerbating conditions.

Thankfully, town officials said the beach had reopened for swimming at 1:30 p.m. As of 2:30 p.m., Ferretti’s office said the beach remained open.