Shark sighting in Lido Beach temporarily halts swimming, officials say

A shark was spotted off the waters of Lido Beach on Sunday morning, prompting officials to suspend swimming for several hours.

This was the latest in a string of shark sightings and encounters off the coast of Long Island in recent weeks.

On Saturday, there were three shark sightings at Jones Beach, and swimmers were ordered to stay out of the water for several hours at two locations. In one case, a fisherman caught and released a four-foot-long sand shark in the area off Field 6.

There have been at least four incidents of people reportedly bitten by a shark on Long Island in the last month. Two were at Smith Point County Park and two were off Fire Island. None suffered serious injuries.

No swimmers or lifeguards came in contact with the shark near Lido Beach Sunday, officials said.

The beach reopened to swimming by 3 p.m.

Veteran lifeguard Frank Falcone said he noticed “a fin coming across the area” heading east around 11:45 a.m., and he and other lifeguards were surveying the water.

“Multiple lifeguards, including myself, did spot it at that time,” Falcone, a senior lieutenant lifeguard for the Town of Hempstead, said during a news briefing at the beach on Sunday afternoon. “The beachgoers did not notice it … everyone remained calm.”

He said the shark was roughly five to seven feet long and was swimming about 25 to 30 yards offshore.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said lifeguards and other enforcement officers were keeping a close eye on the waters but urged residents to say something if they see something.

“We are training our lifeguards not only in CPR and lifeguard courses, but we also send them for training for identifying sharks,” he said. “We have also instituted our shark patrol, jet ski patrol, which is monitoring the waters today, and our bay constables are also in the water monitoring. … We want residents to enjoy themselves. We want you to be safe and we want you to be informed.”

Beachgoers Anna Baciuska and Stephanie Londonio, who both live in Freeport, said they were not concerned about the shark sighting but had no intention of going into the water.

“I'm here just for the sun and the sand, and I'll enjoy it,” said Londonio.

“They live in the water, too, they are allowed,” Baciuska added. “I’ll share the beach with them. I don’t have to go in the water today. There’s many more days in the summer.”

 With James Carbone

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.