On day of shark sighting, Hempstead Town announces plan to increase patrols with drones and watercrafts

Hempstead Town lifeguards plan to increase their shark patrols with drones and watercrafts following an influx of sightings off the coast.

The latest sighting came Thursday morning when a lifeguard spotted a shark's dorsal fin about 10 yards off the shoreline near Camp Anchor and a surf camp in Lido Beach.

The shark, of an unknown size, was seen moving off the barrier island shortly after 11 a.m., closing swimming at beaches for about an hour between Point Lookout and Atlantic Beach, including Nassau County’s Nickerson Beach and Long Beach.

The report, radioed to Hempstead lifeguards, prompted a chain reaction to post red flags, clear the water of swimmers and send out lifeguards on personal watercrafts and launch drones to search the water for the shark. Nassau County police also sent a helicopter over the water.

Hempstead Town officials and Nassau County are entering into an intermunicipal agreement to bolster the town’s shark monitoring capabilities with $10,000 of public safety funding for drones and additional personal watercraft to monitor the water.

"Sharks are a natural and important part of our ocean ecosystem, but the recent increase in sightings require greater preparation, technology and most importantly, vigilance," Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti said at Town Park at Point Lookout. "These incidents reinforce why the town's shark patrol is so critical."

The sightings have become an annual occurrence in recent years off Long Island, where sharks have lurked off the coast for centuries, but are now becoming more visible due to crowded beaches, increased technology and cleaner water, bringing baitfish closer to shore, experts said.

The town has had nearly a dozen shark sightings this summer, including on Thursday and a 9-foot shark spotted earlier this month near Point Lookout.

Shark bites swimmer

On July 3, a sand tiger shark is believed to have bitten a swimmer’s foot at Jones Beach, requiring the man to be taken by ambulance for treatment of his injuries.

Rockaway Beach, in Queens, has reported 23 shark sightings since May 23, including 16 sightings in July, Ferretti said.

The Hempstead Town Board voted to approve the intermunicipal agreement last week, accepting the proposed funds with plans to buy additional shark tracking technology. The funding is contingent on a vote Monday by the full Nassau County Legislature.

The town has one Jet Ski that it uses to patrol the water and two thermal and infrared tracking drones, used by lifeguards each morning to scan for sharks and unusual marine life activity.

Crowds at the beaches were sparse on Thursday, due to hazy skies from the Canadian wildfires.

A pod of about six to 10 dolphins also was seen swimming off Lido Beach, but Hempstead lifeguards are trained to recognize the different dorsal fins.

The waters were reopened to limited swimming after lifeguards scanned the water and reported no additional shark sightings after about an hour.

"Our beaches are one of Nassau County's greatest assets, attracting visitors and residents all throughout the summer, and it is all of our responsibility to make sure that they are safe," said Nassau Legis. Kayla Knight (R-Wantagh). "Shark sightings have become more frequent along the East Coast in recent years, and Nassau County has experienced that firsthand."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.