Shark Attack on New York Swimmer Raises Worry as USA Leads Cases Worldwide

If you’ve been dreaming of beach days and ocean dips to beat the brutal summer heat, you’re not alone. But with the Atlantic heating up, it seems we’re not the only ones heading to the coast. Sharks have been popping up along East Coast beaches in greater numbers this season, with one 11-foot, 761-pound great white named “Dold” spotted off New Jersey and even a 20-foot shadow trailing a boat in Rhode Island. All of this just as Jaws celebrates its 50th anniversary. Coincidence? Maybe. But beachgoers aren’t taking any chances. Because that growing tension became all too real for a swimmer at Long Island’s beloved Jones Beach on Wednesday.

A 20-year-old woman wading waist-deep at the Central Mall beachfront suddenly felt something clamp down on her foot and leg. She couldn’t see the attacker, but officials now say it was most likely a juvenile sand tiger shark, according to the wcjb.com publication. Lifeguards jumped into action, treating her minor but painful lacerations before she was taken to Nassau County University Medical Center. The quick response may have spared the young swimmer from something far worse, but the scare was enough to shut down swimming for the rest of the day.

Officials reopened the beach Thursday morning, but the warning signs remain, literally and figuratively. Experts say to steer clear of murky waters, avoid swimming near schools of fish, and never go in after dark. Most importantly? Always follow lifeguard instructions; it’s the best line of defense in open water. And let’s not forget, this isn’t an isolated incident, remember what happened just a few weeks ago?

Swimmer safety in focus after multiple shark attacks

Just weeks back, a disturbing pattern emerged along the U.S. East Coast, where a string of shark attacks stirred public concern at the start of summer. On Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, two swimmers were bitten within the same week. The first attack occurred on June 17, when a 12-year-old girl was bitten on the lower right leg, losing a “good amount of blood” and requiring an airlift to a Savannah hospital. Just five days later, on June 22, a teenage girl swimmer was bitten near Coligny Beach Park, suffering leg lacerations in front of lifeguards and prompting officials to clear waters for half a mile.

“Beaches and oceans are dynamic natural environments,” Hilton Head’s communications director warned, as authorities continued monitoring shark activity. Around the same time, on June 11, 9-year-old Leah Lendel was snorkeling off Boca Grande, Florida, when a shark grabbed her hand and “it tried to tug me away,” leaving it almost severed and requiring major surgery. One of the most well-known survivors of a shark attack is Bethany Hamilton, who authored the bestselling memoir Soul Surfer in 2004. Her life changed forever after she was attacked by a shark.

Well, Bethany Hamilton was just 13 when her life changed forever during a morning surf session at Tunnels Beach on Kauai on October 31, 2003, when a 14-foot tiger shark attacked her, biting off her left arm just below the shoulder while she lay stomach-down on her board. With more than 60 % of her blood lost and in hypovolemic shock, this young swimmer was rushed to the hospital, but thanks to her surfing fitness and quick action from friends who applied a tourniquet, she survived.  Remarkably, Bethany was back on her surfboard just 26 days later, adapted her technique to surf one-armed, and soon returned to competitive surfing.

According to TrackingSharks.com, as of June 29, there have been 29 publicly reported and verified shark attack bites worldwide in 2025, including 3 provoked and 7 fatal incidents. In the United States alone, 7 shark bites have occurred so far this year: 2 in Florida, 1 in Hawaii, 1 in North Carolina, 1 in New York, and 2 in South Carolina, with none in California or Texas. In several of these cases, the victim was a swimmer caught off guard while enjoying the water, including young girls and teens. Of these U.S. cases, 1 was provoked, and none were fatal. These back-to-back incidents come amid a rise in shark sightings and injuries, prompting renewed safety concerns as summer crowds flock to the water.