A shark bit a 65-year-old woman named Tatyana Koltunyuk on Aug. 7 at Rockaway Beach, reports the New York Times. This incident is the first confirmed shark attack in New York City waters in decades.
Koltunyuk suffered a shark bite to her left leg while swimming close to Beach 59th Street. A spokesperson from the city's parks department said Koltunyuk was swimming alone when lifeguards heard her distressed cries and rushed to her aid, according to a police report.
Lifeguards assisted Koltunyuk out of the water and administered initial medical aid. Emergency responders transported her to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition. As of Tuesday, the police said she remains in a "serious but stable" condition, after having lost 20 pounds of flesh.
“We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer,” Meghan Lalor, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation spokesperson, said in a statement. “Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark bites in Rockaway are extremely rare.”
Immediately following the incident, lifeguards ordered all swimmers out of the water. The beach was closed for swimming and surfing activities on Tuesday.
According to the Global Shark Attack File, an informal compilation of such encounters, Monday’s event marks the first documented shark attack within New York City since the 1950s.
Brooklyn resident Nancy Ugalde, had intended to get in the water on Tuesday, but changed her mind after learning about the shark bite incident.
“I’m not going in there today until they say it’s OK to go in,” Ugalde said. “It’s very scary.”
