Woman bitten by shark on New York’s Rockaway Beach

Woman, 50, bitten in the upper leg by a shark on Rockaway Beach
Officers applied a tourniquet, and the woman was taken to the hospital
Report: The attack is the first on a New York City beach in 50 years

Updated: Aug 8, 2023 / 09:23 AM CDT

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 07: Police gather along Rockaway Beach at 59th Street after a woman was attacked by a shark in the early evening on August 07, 2023 in New York City. The woman is reported in critical condition after the attack which comes as New York beaches are witnessing an increase in shark sightings and encounters with swimmers. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

(NewsNation) —Swimming and surfing will be prohibited Tuesday at a popular beach in New York after a woman was injured in an apparent shark attack at the beach, officials said.

A 50-year-old woman suffered a serious leg injury on Rockaway Beach, in New York City’s Queens borough, around 6 p.m. Monday. She was taken to the hospital after NYPD officers applied a tourniquet and is in serious but stable with a shark bite to the leg, according to officials.

The woman had a large bite on her upper left leg, sources confirmed to NewsNation affiliate WPIX.

A green beach tent and beach chair could be seen on the beach for hours after the incident. A sign posted at the beach said lifeguards are staffed at the beach from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Members of the NYPD’s Technical Assistance Response Unit responded to the beach to fly two drones. The cameras on the drones searched the water for any signs of sharks nearby.

According to New York Daily News, the attack is the first on a New York City beach in 50 years.

NewsNation affiliate WPIX contributed to this report