SHIRLEY, N.Y. — Officials were using drones to watch for sharks Monday at some Long Island beaches after a shark attack injured a lifeguard.
Lifeguards also started work an hour early to scan the water for signs of sharks off Smith Point and Cupsogue beaches, Suffolk County spokesperson Nicole Russo said.
The beaches reopened at 10 a.m. Monday after being closed to swimming because of what county officials described as an unprecedented attack Sunday morning at Smith Point.
A lifeguard was playing the role of a victim during a training exercise when the shark bit him in the chest and hand, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said Sunday. The lifeguard was treated with stitches.
“We have never had an incident like this occur. Hopefully, we never will again,” Bellone said.
Bellone said there was an additional shark sighting following the attack, though it was not clear whether it was the same shark.
