Swimmer suffers apparent shark bite at New York's Jones Beach, and lifeguards clear water

A summer beach day on Long Island took a frightening turn Friday when one swimmer at Jones Beach suffered a shark bite to his foot, prompting lifeguards to clear the water.

Shortly after noon at Jones Beach State Park's Field 6, a man suffered a shark bite to his left foot, according to ABC7 New York. 

The man was taken to Nassau University Medical Center, and his injury was said to be non-life-threatening.

Park personnel responded after the man was bitten. Officials noted that the lacerations on his foot looked like they had been made by shark teeth. 

While lifeguards and emergency medical technicians assisted him, authorities told everyone to get out of the water and searched the water for sharks.

"He was holding his foot, and then people came and got him," beachgoer Tyler Grossman told ABC7. "And then they were like, 'Everyone get out,' and they kind of cleared everything."

Others noted that there was a lot of blood at the scene, though the man appeared to be OK.

After about an hour passed without any sharks being found, officials reopened the water but limited swimmers to waist depth. The occurrence remained under investigation. The previous day, the Parks Department had spotted three sharks in the area via drone monitoring.

ABC7 added that the episode unfolded during an especially crowded stretch of the day, with more than 100,000 people at Jones Beach for air show practice and to beat the heat.

Shark bites remain rare. But on a day when so many were gathered near the water, the chances of an encounter increased.

Busy shorelines, warming waters, and changes in where bait fish gather can all bring predators and swimmers into the same nearshore areas.

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