16-Year-Old Surfer Bitten By Shark On Fire Island

FIRE ISLAND, NY — A 16-year-old was bitten by a shark on Fire Island on Wednesday, making him the sixth person in three weeks to be attacked in the area, Suffolk County Police said.

According to the Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau, officers responded to calls of a shark bite in Kismet on Fire Island on Wednesday at about 5:45 p.m.

A 16-year-old male surfer was paddling about 20 yards off of Kismet Beach when he was bit on his right foot, sustaining about a 4-inch laceration, police said. He was able to walk out of the water, and was taken by Saltaire Fire Rescue to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip for treatment, police said.

Suffolk County Police aviation responded by helicopter, but the water was too murky to locate the shark, officials said.

Marine Bureau officers are looking for the shark via boat, police said. No lifeguards were on duty at the time.

The incident occurred just hours after a dead shark was found washed up onto the shores of Quogue.

The 16-year-old is the sixth person on Long Island to have been the victim of a shark bite.

On July 13, two people in Suffolk County were bitten by sharks in separate incidents at Smith Point County Park and on Fire Island. Sharks also bit two lifeguards — one on July 7 at Ocean Beach on Fire Island, according to CBS News and one on July 3 at Smith Point — during training exercises. The Smith Point lifeguard returned to work and described his experience.

The July 3 bite sparked temporary beach closures at Smith Point and Cupsogue county parks.

Police also believe a 37-year-old man was bitten by a shark on June 30 at Jones Beach.

Governor Kathy Hochul called for heightened patrols and surveillance of shark activity on Monday including drone and helicopter monitoring along Long Island State park beaches, as a safety precaution for an increase of frequent shark sightings.

All Rockaway beaches were also closed to swimming on Tuesday.