Shark sighting at LI’s Hewlett Point Beach temporarily closes beach to swimmers

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A shark was spotted in the waters at Hewlett Point Beach on Long Island, shutting down the waters to swimmers for at least an hour.

“A shark sighting has been reported at Hewlett Point Beach, and the beach is currently red-flagged for the next hour,” the Town of Hempstead announced on social media at about 2:45 p.m.

Standard safety protocol for when a shark is spotted is to close the beach to swimmers one mile in both directions from where it was seen.

“Our highly skilled lifeguards are on alert and will continue to monitor the waters closely to ensure your safety,” the Town of Hempstead said.

The sighting comes a week after three shark sightings on Rockaway Beach, which prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul to share information about the state’s expanded efforts to monitor sharks with more drones and drone operators across the Long Island shore.