A woman was seriously injured after a shark attacked her off of New York City’s Rockaway Beach on Monday.
Police were called to Beach 59th Street just before 6pm local time after the unidentified 50-year-old woman, who was swimming about 10 feet out in the water, was bitten on her left leg, Fox5 New York reported.
The shark’s bite was so forceful that it removed a chunk of flesh from her thigh, resulting in a wound several inches wide and deep, according to The Associated Press.
When first responders arrived, the woman was found unconscious, according to Fox5. It was unclear whether it was due to blood loss or shock.
Lifeguards helped the woman from the water, administered first aid and applied a tourniquet to her leg, AP reported. She was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, and officials said she was listed in serious but stable condition.
The Rockaway area was cleared of all beachgoers immediately after the incident. The beach remained closed on Tuesday, according to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.
Authorities said had have been using drones and helicopters to search the area for sharks but had yet to locate any. However, multiple sharks were later spotted about 25 miles east, near the Long Island shoreline, which led officials to shut down parts of Jones Beach, AP reported.
The parks department called Monday’s attack “extremely rare” in a statement to Fox News, adding: “We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer.”
Over the Fourth of July weekend, multiple people in the New York City area, including two teens, reported suffering non-fatal bites, Vox reported.