Overview
- Multiple shark sightings on Thursday prompted intermittent closures at Rockaway Beach in Queens and a red-flag shutdown at Point Lookout in the Town of Hempstead.
- Hempstead lifeguards confirmed a roughly 9-foot shark before 10:30 a.m. and reopened local beaches by about 2 p.m. after shark patrols monitored the shoreline.
- NYC Parks said a drone captured a Rockaway sighting around 2:30 p.m. and the beach was set to reopen at 3:30 p.m. if no further sightings were reported.
- Officials reported no injuries and have not universally confirmed species, though one outlet described sightings as bull sharks while others noted large sharks in nearby waters this season.
- The closures came during an extreme-heat day that drove high beach attendance, and authorities warn that renewed sightings could produce more temporary shutdowns over the holiday weekend.