Long Island beachgoers allowed back in water after no shark sightings
LONG ISLAND - The Town of Hempstead is allowing beachgoers back into the waters at “knee-to-waist deep” heights after no sharks were spotted Sunday morning.
Swimmers were ordered out of the water Saturday after two confirmed shark sightings, one in Lido Beach and another in Atlantic Beach. Beaches on Long Island have closed several times in the past week.
Some beaches did eventually reopen for wading, as scores of beachgoers shook off the threat to enjoy the waves on a sunny summertime weekend.
"Summer of 2020 in the middle of a pandemic and it's 85 degrees and I'm not going to not go into the water," one beachgoer said.
Officials temporarily banned swimming Saturday afternoon after lifeguards spotted the shark just after 1 p.m. and ordered everyone out of the water.
"It really doesn't affect me because it's the third time this week and they cleared the water," a beachgoer said.
Saturday's sightings are just a few of a dozen shark sightings that have been reported near the Long Island shoreline in the past week alone.
“It’s not a surprise that they’re gonna start rolling in and they might even come up past Long Island and keep heading north to those warmer temperatures,” said Chris Stefanou, a local shark fisher.
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Officials in the Town of Hempstead say they have launched a 'Shark Patrol' program, sending lifeguards out on jetskis and boats to monitor the water for any additional shark sightings.