 shark was seen swimming in the shallows. "We are now more vigilant than ever," said George Gorman, a State of New York park director in Long Island. "We have drones in the sky that watch over the waters. We have lifeguards on WaveRunners that watch over the waters." While the injuries from this week's bites haven't been serious, Gorman said he and others are concerned by the rise in attacks. That's why authorities have upped their drone patrols, sending out the devices for three sweeps of the beaches and their waters every day, said Cary Epstein, a lifeguard supervisor and drone pilot. He said drones provide an extra set of eyes and a vantage point unavailable to lifeguards. "When you're up in an elevated lifeguard station or a lifeguard stand, you can see up and you can see out, but you can't see straight down," Epstein said. The drones aren't perfect, however, and they don't always catch everything, he said.){kind=link}
Shark attacks are on the rise – there were nearly as many reported this week as there were throughout all of 2022. Some experts weighed in on the phenomenon and preventative measures being taken
Over the last decade, there were four reports. Last year, there were eight. Just this week, there have already been five. And they all happened within the span of two days.
Shark attacks – though they strike fear into the general public – are generally considered rare occurrences. The ocean predators aren’t usually inclined to attack people with wonton abandon.
There’s only a one in three billion chance of being attacked by a shark, according to the World Animal Foundation.
But the number of reported attacks has been increasing in recent years. Over the long 4th of July weekend, drones patrolled the waters over Robert Moses State Park on Long Island, New York.