(NEW YORK) — A 50-year-old woman is hospitalized in critical condition Monday after being bitten by a shark at Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York, officials said.
The woman was swimming at Beach 59th Street at around 5:50 p.m. ET when she was bitten by a shark in the left leg, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation confirmed to ABC News.
Lifeguards quickly removed the woman from the water and gave her first aid. The woman was taken in critical condition to Jamaica Hospital, the parks department said. She remains in critical condition, a hospital representative confirmed to ABC News on Monday night.
NYC Parks said in a statement that “shark bites in Rockaway are extremely rare,” adding: “We remain vigilant in monitoring the beach and always clear the water when a shark is spotted.”
Following the shark bite incident, lifeguards at Beach 59th Street cleared everyone from the water. The New York Police Department used a helicopter to survey the area, but they didn’t see any sharks, according to NYC Parks.
Authorities, including the parks department, the NYPD and the Fire Department of New York, will surveil the beach on Tuesday. Due to the surveillance, the beach will not be open until at least 11 a.m.
“We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer,” NYC Parks said.
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