Officials in the Town of Hempstead red-flagged several beaches for the latest in a string of ongoing shark sightings off Long Island coastlines.
A tweet from the town's account said East Atlantic Beach and Atlantic Beach Estates were red-flagged after a fisherman caught a shark Sunday. A video by Pat York shows one of the four small sharks he caught on Long Beach.
All the sharks were safely released back into the water and then the red flags were issued to warn beachgoers of the potential hazards in the water.
"We've added more lifeguards on the stands, surfboards and added this week jet ski patrols again to monitor the shoreline because again that's where these sharks like to go and that's particularly dangerous for swimmers," said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran says the shark sighting has prompted swimming restrictions at Nickerson Beach. County residents enjoying the beach can only enter the waters waist-deep, Curran tweeted.
Shark sightings have become a semi-regular occurrence in the county, with officials modifying swimming restrictions or closing beaches entirely off-and-on for several weeks now.
Most sharks seen in the waters have been small. But one sighting last month prompted closures at Lido West and Nickerson beaches for reports of a large bull shark between 7 and 10 feet long. Town officials say they haven't seen a shark that size in the area in at least four years.
