Woman in a critical condition after rare shark attack at New York City beach

Rockaway Beach in Queens remains closed as officials scan water for predators

A popular New York City beach was closed on Tuesday after a woman was attacked by a shark, the city's parks and recreations department said.

The 50-year-old woman was swimming off Rockaway Beach in Queens at about 6pm on Monday when she was bitten on the left leg. It was the first reported shark attack at the beach in recent memory, the parks department said.

Lifeguards pulled the woman from the water and administered first aid before she was taken to hospital in Jamaica, Queens. She remains in a critical condition.

Swimmers were cleared from the water on Monday and police used a helicopter to search for sharks, but did not find any.

The parks department said the New York Police Department would be on patrol on Tuesday to keep swimmers out of the water. Police and fire officials will also conduct aerial surveillance to monitor the area for sharks.

A growing number of sharks have been spotted at some of New York state's most popular beaches this summer, leading authorities to use drones to monitor the sea predators.

There have been at least six reported cases of shark bites in New York state this year.

Shark attacks in the US occur most frequently in Florida, where 16 people were bitten last year.

Updated: August 09, 2023, 5:12 AM