A 9-foot shark sighting shut down Point Lookout’s beach operations and triggered red flags for swimming at Point Lookout and nearby Hempstead on Thursday. Lifeguards spotted the shark from the main chair, while Shark Patrol arrived with drones and jet skis. Cl
Point Lookout’s beach went quiet after lifeguards spotted a shark about 9 feet long moving in the water.
Officials moved fast: both Point Lookout and neighboring Hempstead beaches were red-flagged for swimming on Thursday following the sighting. At the most crowded stretch—Point Lookout’s main chair—one lifeguard first spotted the animal. Other lifeguards and beach patrons confirmed the sighting. turning what may have started as a tense moment into a full stop for swimmers.
Shark Patrol was then deployed to inspect the area. The team used drones and jet skis to search the waters around the beach as closures took hold.
The concern didn’t stay limited to Nassau County. Rockaway Beach in Queens also saw intermittent beach closures due to multiple shark sightings.
With lifeguards watching from the main chair and patrol crews scanning with drones and jet skis, the message to beachgoers was clear: if the ocean can change that quickly, swimming can’t be treated as routine.
Point Lookout Hempstead Rockaway Beach 9-foot shark lifeguards Shark Patrol drones jet skis beach closure Long Island