Authorities are on high alert in New York State after confirming that a 20-year-old female has been bitten in waist-deep water by a shark at the Central Mall beach at Jones Beach State Park on Long Island. At approximately 4:14 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, the swimmer felt a bite on her foot and leg by an unseen creature. She was transported to Nassau County University Medical Center, where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Scientists from the Department of Environmental Conservation have now confirmed that the bite came from a shark, most likely a juvenile sand tiger shark. Swimming was immediately suspended following the incident while drones, Park Police, and lifeguards patrolled the waters. The beach has since reopened but patrols will remain throughout the summer season to protect swimmers. Authorities advise beachgoers to avoid swimming in areas with seals, schools of fish, or diving seabirds, and to avoid splashing, swimming at dusk, night, and dawn. Sand tiger shark bites are often non-fatal, but the creatures do tend to mistake splashing feet for struggling fish. In 2022, five attacks occurred in the same Long Island area in just two weeks.
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