Davis Park Beach in Brookhaven was closed due to a shark sighting Wednesday. Credit: Liam Darrigo

Davis Park Beach on Fire Island was closed to bathers Wednesday after a shark was seen swimming close to shore, Brookhaven Town officials said.

"Brookhaven Town lifeguards reported a shark sighting in the ocean at Davis Park on Fire Island. Out of an abundance of caution, swimming is prohibited until further notice," town spokesman Jack Krieger said Wednesday afternoon.

No injuries were reported.

Liam Darrigo, 19, of Northport, was skimboarding in the surf about 1 p.m. when lifeguards blew their whistles and told everyone to clear the water. He said that about 20 minutes later, he saw the shark's fin above the water about 20 feet offshore and took a video.

Davis Park Beach in Brookhaven was closed due to a...

Davis Park Beach in Brookhaven was closed due to a shark sighting Wednesday. The fins of a shark are seen in the top left corner of this picture taken there Wednesday. Credit: Liam Darrigo

"The lifeguard came and told us to get out of the water. We waited a bit and saw a big fin. As it started moving, we saw the tail and the dorsal fin and it cruised along slowly," Darrigo said. "It’s a bit concerning. We've seen dolphins, but my mom said she had never seen a shark before. It's kind of cool but also concerning."

Grace Keating, 19, of Northport, joined Darrigo on the beach and was wading about waist deep when lifeguards blew their whistles and rode up the beach on go-karts to evacuate the water. She said she tried to warn newcomers at the beach and children not to play in the water beyond ankle-deep.

Keating, who is staying at a house on Fire Island for the week, said she felt unsure about going back into the water. "It was alarming. We live on Long Island and we're so used to going into the ocean. We grew up in the water. It's scary that a beach we come to so often has … succumbed to sharks," she said. "It does make me uncomfortable. I think we're going to stay out of the water the remainder of our trip."

Swimmers were ordered out of the water at Davis Park...

Swimmers were ordered out of the water at Davis Park Beach Wednesday afternoon after a shark sighting. Credit: Grace Keating

The Davis Park sighting Wednesday follows two recent encounters with sharks on local beaches. 

From threshers to great whites, here are some of the sharks you might find off LI. Credit: Gabriella Vukelic / Newsday

A lifeguard was attacked by a shark Sunday at nearby Smith Point County Park in Shirley. He was bitten on the hand and on the chest during a training exercise while a swimmer at Jones Beach also suffered a possible shark bite on his right foot Friday. Those beaches were closed after each incident and reopened the next day.

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