As more people are heading to the beaches, one community on Long Island is taking action to keep swimmers safe...from sharks!
This is, because, it is during this time of year that sharks start coming into areas frequented by humans.
Just on Monday, beach patrols at Lido Beach said that there was a sighting of a shark not too far from Point Lookout, just north of the Loop Parkway Bridge. Jones Beach lifeguards say it was actually a fisherman who saw the 10-foot shark, very close to the shoreline, having some trouble finding its way. The fisherman apparently called local authorities in the town of Hempstead Bay, but by the time authorities arrived, the shark was able to swim away to open waters without any incident.
In recent years, organizations have been researching different types of sharks across this area and have found that some of the young ones tend to come into our region around this time of year, starting in May, and spend the entire summer swimming around.
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Last year, several beaches on Long Island had to be closed after sharks were spotted near the shore. If that happens again, you will see red flags go up, alerting people of the presence of sharks in order to keep swimmers safe.
The town of Hempstead Bay will also deploy shark patrols Friday morning and give out tips to beachgoers through a mock rescue demonstration performed by lifeguards. The idea is to keep educating people as to what to do if they see a shark and what to do if an attack is to happen.
