Drones to help guard swimmers after shark attack confirmed
ISLIP, N.Y. — Officials have confirmed one of two children bitten in the leg off New York’s Fire Island was bitten by a shark.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation says a tooth fragment removed from a 13-year-old boy’s leg is consistent with a shark’s tooth, but it could not determine what species of shark due to the tooth’s condition.
Officials could not confirm Thursday if the fish that bit a 12-year-old girl a few minutes before the boy at Sailors Haven beach was also a shark.
Both children were bitten Wednesday, prompting officials to temporarily close the beaches.
The children are expected to fully recover.
The state Parks Department is extending lifeguard coverage until 8 p.m. Friday, and drones will be deployed to monitor the waters.
