Miles of New York City beaches were shut down Thursday in response to two separate shark sightings, which were captured by NYPD drones.
According to the NY Post, the first shark sighting took place around 1:20 PM Thursday. The New York City Parks and Recreation confirmed a shark had been spotted off Beach 86th Street. Department protocol required the beach to be closed off to swimmers for a mile in each direction for the next hour. The closure spanned from Beach 64th to Beach 104th.
Remarkably, a second shark was spotted at 2:45 PM off Beach 61st Street. Again, protocol required that the beach be closed from Beach 57th to Beach 81st Street. The closures once more ended after an hour.
Be Advised! Our drones have sighted jaws at Rockaway Beach-84th street. Beach will be closed from 64th street to 104th street. Our drones will continue to monitor the waters for any other shark sightings or swimmers in distress.@NYPDnews @NYPDPC @NYPD1stDep @NYPDChiefOfDept? pic.twitter.com/qzQSo7OKHh
— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) July 11, 2024
Drone Footage Plays Role In NYC Beach Shutdown
Both sharks were captured swimming via NYPD drones. With hot temperatures covering much of the continental United States, ocean days have been popular from coast to coast. On Thursday, temperatures reportedly reached 89 degrees, although the real feel hit 92 in New York City.
As the hot temperatures driving more folks to the water, the NYPD plans to continue to utilize drones in attempt to keep beachgoers safe. The drones are useful not only in identifying sharks, but also finding swimmers in distress.
Reports of beach closures in New York piggyback right off of what was a scary Independence Day in Texas. While celebrating the Fourth of July at South Padre Island, four different individuals encountered a shark. Of the four, two were bitten.
It can be easy to live in the moment, and get caught up in news cycles, but it certainly feels there have been more reports of shark encounters this summer than any previously. Alabama, Florida, Texas and New York have all made national news cycles for shark encounters throughout various points of the summer. Likewise, California made news in June for a shark attack near Del Mar.
Hopefully, with new drone technology and increased awareness, more incidents can be avoided as the summer wears on. Altogether, the practices in place in New York did a wonderful job in mitigating risk of another shark-related disaster.
