The entirety of Rockaway Beach was closed to swimming and surfing Tuesday following a shark attack Monday evening, city officials said. 

The city’s Parks Department and NYPD will be on patrol along the beach to keep visitors out of the water. The FDNY and NYPD will also be conducting aerial surveillance to monitor for sharks. 

What You Need To Know

  • Rockaway Beach is closed to swimming and surfing following a shark attack near Beach 59th Street Monday evening

  • The FDNY and NYPD will be conducting aerial surveillance of the waters throughout the day

  • The victim injured Monday was transported to Jamaica Hospital and is listed in critical but stable condition

Officials said the closing was a safety precaution following a shark attack near Beach 59th Street at around 6 p.m. 

Sources told NY1 that a woman was bitten, and a tourniquet was applied at the scene. 

She was transferred to Jamaica Hospital, according to the FDNY, where she underwent surgery for her injuries. She remains in the hospital in critical but stable condition. 

It remains unclear if there was any shark activity following the attack. Authorities did not specify what type of shark was involved in the attack.

In a statement provided to NY1, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said common species of sharks found in New York waters include sandbar, dusky, blacktip and white sharks.

In recent years, shark populations have been growing due to "decades of conservation and fisheries management," the spokesperson said. 

"Prey populations, such as Atlantic menhaden, are also recovering in New York waters. These baitfish attract many predators including whales, dolphins, seabirds, and also sharks," the spokesperson added. "Consequently, there is a long-term trend of more prey and more predators in the Atlantic as fish populations are being better conserved and the ocean environment has become healthier."