Surfer Bitten By Shark At LI Beach 'May Represent The New Normal': CE

LONG ISLAND, NY — Swimming was suspended Wednesday at Smith Point County Park "due to dangerous marine life activity," the Suffolk County Parks Department said — a person was bitten by a shark just 10 days after a similar incident involving a lifeguard.

The beach was reopened for swimming as of 1:30 p.m.

Bellone held a briefing about a "shark-related incident" at Smith Point County Beach Wednesday morning. A surfer who was out on the water at 7:30 a.m. "suffered a 4-inch gash in his leg" and was knocked off a paddle board by what was believed to be a tiger shark, Bellone said.

The surfer "took a punch at the shark" and then saw the shark coming back around after the initial bite. "At that moment, fortunately, a wave carried the surfer and the paddle board back in to shore," Bellone said.

The surfer then sought care with a park ranger and called 911. Bellone thanked the Mastic Beach Ambulance Company and the Shirley Community Ambulance, which brought the surfer to Long Island Community Hospital for treatment.

The news follows another incident on July 3, when both Smith Point and Cupsogue Beach County Park were were temporarily closed for swimming after a lifeguard was bitten by a shark, according to Bellone.

The lifeguard is expected back at work this week, Bellone said.

"To have two incidents for us, at this facility, is unprecedented," Bellone said. "We've not seen this before. The beach has not been closed for swimming since it opened in 1959."

However, he said, the shark bite is "an indiction that what we are looking at is something of a new normal."

While they have always been present in the ocean, tiger sharks are now closer to shore than they have been; Bellone reminded that whenever individuals are in the ocean, they are interacting with marine life.

Due to the fact that sharks appear to be closer to shore, Bellone said interactions between humans and sharks may increase. "Fortunately, we haven't seen significant injuries, nor do we expect to, but it is something to be aware and conscious of," Bellone said.

Bellone said Suffolk County has the best trained lifeguards anywhere; they are always on alert for any dangers, including sharks and rip currents, in the waterways, he said.

Heightened monitoring of the water at Smith Point and Cupsogue, with lifeguards on paddle boards and jet skis, and a Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services drone on site, will continue Wednesday and beyond, Bellone said.

He added that similar to the lifeguard bite, the incident happened before the lifeguards were on duty. Bellone urged residents to remember the dangers of being out on ocean without a lifeguard.

"We urge people to stay out of the water when lifeguards are not on duty," he said.

Also, Bellone urged swimmers to avoid dusk and dawn, not wear shiny jewelry and not go into the water if bleeding, all common sense measures; also, he said, go into the water with someone so if a person is in distress, help is close.

"We are looking at something that may just represent the new normal," Bellone said. "This may be what we are coming to expect."

While shark attacks off Long Island Shores are extremely rare, officials will provide additional details on the situation and outline additional measures residents can take to remain safe in the water, Bellone said.

Suffolk lifeguards actively patrol for sharks and other marine life by utilizing drones, jet skis, paddle boards and surfboards in addition to monitoring from the shore.

Those beaches reopened for swimming on July 4.

During a news conference on July 3, Bellone confirmed that lifeguard Zack Gallo was bitten in the chest and the hand. He was taken to South Shore University Hospital for treatment.

The shark that bit the lifeguard is believed to have been 4 to 5-feet long, he said.

In addition, there was another shark sighting soon after, Bellone said. "We don't know if it was the same shark," he said.

Just recently, a shark briefing was held for lifeguards, he said.

The July 3 incident was the second shark-related injury on Long Island that week.

A 37-year-old man suffered a cut to his right foot while swimming in the ocean at Jones Beach just days before, police said.

Sharks have become a more visible presence on the East End in recent years: In 2016, a great white shark nursery was found in the waters off Montauk, according to Ocearch founder Chris Fischer.

According to Ocearch Chief Operating Officer Fernanda Ubatuba at the time — Ocearch is a nonprofit organization dedicated to shark research — shark attacks on humans are extremely rare — the odds are about one in 12 million. Most shark attack victims survive; bites on humans by sharks are normally exploratory.

Worldwide, 200,000 sharks are killed per day; in contrast, about 10 to 12 human lives are lost yearly as a result of shark attacks, researchers told Patch.

Sharks, experts agree, are far less of a danger to people than mankind is to sharks.

"You have more risk of dying by a defective toaster or driving a car than a shark attack, but it's perception," Ubatuba said.

There are few shark attacks worldwide, Ubatuba said.