New York teenager bitten by shark while surfing off Fire Island


A teenager surfing off Fire Island in New York was attacked by a shark on Monday evening, according to police.

Suffolk County Police said officers with the Marine Bureau responded to reports of a surfer being bitten by a shark at Kismet Beach on Fire Island, a barrier island off the coast of Long Island.

Police said the 15-year-old boy was surfing when at about 5:20 p.m. a shark bit him on his left foot.

The teenager was able to swim back to shore, where a Good Samaritan provided medical attention until the officers arrived to take over.

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FILE- There were approximately 70 to 80 unprovoked shark bites each year worldwide over the past decade, with only 57 unprovoked bites in 2022. (Getty Images)

Police added that the heel and toes were intact.

The shark attack survivor was taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

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People in the water at Rockaway Beach

FILE- People enjoy the water at Rockaway Beach, Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in the Queens borough of New York. A number of factors, including warming ocean temperatures, contributed to an expected proliferation of sharks along the New York coastline that summer.  (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Earlier in the day, a 15-year-old girl was treated after suffering three small puncture wounds on her left leg at Robert Moses State Park, which borders Kismet Beach to the west.

A spokesperson for New York State Parks said emergency medical technicians (EMTs) at Robert Moses released the teenager to her parents, adding it is unknown what type of marine life was responsible for the bites.

Officials at the park deployed a drone immediately after the incident, though they were not able to detect any dangerous marine life.

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Starting Tuesday, park officials plan to increase drone patrols at Robert Moses and Jones Beach state parks.

Last summer, Long Island beaches were on high alert after several shark attacks happened in July.

One of those attacks took place at Kismet Beach and involved then 16-year-old surfer Max Haynes, who told FOX 5 New York he did not see anything coming when he felt something like a bear trap on his foot.

Haynes suffered from a 4-inch laceration on his foot and was able to walk out of the water on his own.

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While shark attacks are usually rare, more sharks are being spotted off Long Island. 

Scientists cite warming ocean temperatures and a resurgence of bunker fish for the shift in sightings. Experts say the increase in the number of sharks is a sign that conservation efforts have been successful.



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