A teenager was bitten by a shark while surfing in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Fire Island on Monday afternoon, Suffolk County police said.
Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers responded to a surfer being bitten by a shark at Kismet Beach at 5:20 p.m. and upon arrival, the 15-year-old victim reported that when he was bitten by a shark on his left heel and toes, police said.
The teen swam to shore and a Good Samaritan provided medical assistance until officers responded and continued the care, police said. The heel and toes were intact.
The teen was taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident comes as the region remains on high alert for sharks after an unprecedented six shark attacks reported in three weeks — two of which occurred on the same day — in the waters off Long Island’s beaches last summer. Most of those attacks occurred off of Fire Island, including one in Kismet.
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