Long Island’s 5th shark attack in 2 weeks leaves man injured

A tourist in Long Island was bitten by a shark in shallow waters on Wednesday evening, marking the fifth shark attack in the area in two weeks. 

The 49-year-old man from Arizona was standing in waist-deep water at Seaview Beach on Fire Island when the shark attacked him at around 6 p.m., Suffolk County police said. 

The “shark came up from behind and bit him on the left wrist and buttocks,” police said in a statement.

The victim was able to walk out of the water by himself. He was then transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

The latest attack comes less than 12 hours after attorney Shawn Donnelly, 41, was bitten on his calf while surfing near Smith Point County Park in Shirley at around 7:30 a.m. The lawyer believes a five-foot-long sand shark attacked him. While he initially thought he had gotten away uninjured after punching the shark, he noticed blood and a clear bite mark.

Ten days earlier, lifeguard Zach Gallo, 33, was bitten by a shark while performing training exercises. He was bitten in the chest and right hand after encountering his 4- to 5-foot enemy, but not before fighting off the shark. 

“He was playing the role of a victim, and in the midst of that, actually became a victim when this shark bite occurred,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone at a press conference.

A swimmer with a deep cut on his right foot was most likely to have been bit by a shark on June 30. Another lifeguard was bitten on the foot by a shark while swimming about 150 to 200 yards offshore on July 7 at Ocean Beach. 

There have also been several shark sightings reported off the coast of Long Island. On Thursday, an off-duty lifeguard reported a shark at around 8 a.m. near Fire Island’s Robert Moses State Park. Another shark was also spotted later that day at around 1:20 p.m. near Tobay Beach in Oyster Bay. 

Beachgoers captured cell phone video of a shark near the shore at field 5 of Robert Moses State Park beach on Sunday
5 people on Long Island were bitten by a shark in the last 2 weeks
2 alone yesterday
At least 3 sightings today, including at this same beach @ABC7NY pic.twitter.com/SNEeFPsdqK

— Chantee Lans (@ChanteeLans) July 14, 2022