On day of shark sighting, Hempstead Town pronounces plan to extend patrols with drones and watercrafts

Hempstead city lifeguards plan to extend their shark patrols with drones and watercrafts following an inflow of sightings off the coast.

The newest sighting got here Thursday morning when a lifeguard noticed a shark’s dorsal fin about 10 yards off the shoreline close to Camp Anchor and a surf camp in Lido Beach.

The shark, of an unknown measurement, was seen shifting off the barrier island shortly after 11 a.m., closing swimming at seashores for about an hour between Point Lookout and Atlantic Beach, together with Nassau County’s Nickerson Beach and Long Beach.

The report, radioed to Hempstead lifeguards, prompted a sequence response, to publish crimson flags, clear the water of swimmers and ship out lifeguards on Jet Skis and launching drones to go looking the water for the shark. Nassau County police additionally despatched a helicopter over the water.

Hempstead Town officers and Nassau County are getting into into an intermunicipal settlement to bolster the city’s shark monitoring capabilities with $10,000 of public security funding for drones and extra private watercraft to observe the water.

“Sharks are a natural and important part of our ocean ecosystem, but the recent increase in sightings require greater preparation, technology, and most importantly, vigilance,” Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti mentioned at Town Park at Point Lookout. “These incidents reinforce why the town’s shark patrol is so critical.”

The sightings have develop into an annual incidence lately off Long Island, the place sharks have lurked off the coast for hundreds of years, however are actually turning into extra seen as a result of crowded seashores, elevated expertise and cleaner water, bringing bait fish nearer to shore, specialists say.

The city has had almost a dozen shark sightings this summer time, together with on Thursday and a nine-foot shark noticed earlier this month close to Point Lookout.

Shark bites swimmer

On July 3, a sand tiger shark is believed to have bitten a swimmer’s foot at Jones Beach, requiring the man to be taken by ambulance for remedy of his accidents.

Rockaway Beach, in Queens, has reported 23 shark sightings since May 23, together with 16 sightings in July, Ferretti mentioned.

The Hempstead Town Board voted to approve the intermunicipal settlement final week, accepting the proposed funds with plans to purchase further shark monitoring expertise. The funding is contingent on a vote Monday by the complete Nassau County Legislature.

The city has one Jet Ski that it makes use of to patrol the water and two thermal and infrared monitoring drones, utilized by lifeguards every morning to scan for sharks and weird marine life exercise.

Crowds on the seashores have been sparse on Thursday, as a result of hazy skies from the Canadian wildfires.

A pod of about six to 10 dolphins additionally have been seen swimming off Lido Beach, however Hempstead lifeguards are skilled to acknowledge the completely different dorsal fins.

The waters have been reopened to restricted swimming after lifeguards scanned the water and reported no further sightings after about an hour.

“Our beaches are one of Nassau County’s greatest assets, attracting visitors and residents all throughout the summer, and it is all of our responsibility to make sure that they are safe,” mentioned Nassau Legis. Kayla Knight (R-Wantagh). “Shark sightings have become more frequent along the East Coast in recent years, and Nassau County has experienced that firsthand.”

John Asbury is a breaking information and normal project reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and beforehand labored at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.