A surge in shark sightings and a swimmer’s shark bite have beachgoers on the East Coast on high alert.A small sand tiger shark is likely what bit a man who suffered non-life-threatening lacerations to his foot while swimming at Jones Beach State Park Field 6 on Long Island over the Fourth of July weekend, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation determined.CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPThe beach was temporarily closed while state officials searched for more sharks, but they reopened it to restricted swimming after an hour.Days before, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks) alerted beachgoers to expect intermittent beach closures at Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York City’s largest beach, due to multiple shark sightings.According to NYC Parks, Rockaway Beach has recorded 23 shark sightings and been closed 23 times since May.People enjoy the beach at Jones Beach State Park.
(Michael M.Santiago/Getty Images)Sixteen of those shark sightings occurred within the first five days of July, reported NYC Parks."The city’s emergency management agency said they received multiple shark sightings at the Queens beach ...
and asked those trying to escape the heat to follow guidance from on-duty lifeguards," Fox Weather reported.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZLong Island beach lifeguards spotted a shark off Point Lookout on July 2, prompting the beach’s temporary closure, along with the shutdown of neighboring Hempstead beaches, the Associated Press reported.A fisherman hooked and released a 5½-foot sandbar shark about 200 yards offshore from East Haven Town Beach in Connecticut in late June, according to local sources.No injuries were reported.If people are alerted to a shark attack near them, it's much less likely they will also be bitten, experts say.
(iStock)The uptick in shark sightings in the New York area may be due to increased surveillance efforts.In May, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced...