65-year-old woman bitten by shark at Rockaway Beach in New York City
A 65-year-old New York City woman is in stable condition after she was bitten by a shark at Rockaway Beach in Queens, hospital officials said.
The woman was standing in the water at Beach 59th Street Monday evening when she suffered a severe laceration to the back of her left thigh and fell into the water, the NYPD said.
Lifeguards rescued her from the water and officers applied a tourniquet, police said.
Following the attack, lifeguards at Beach 59th Street cleared everyone from the water.
Police used a helicopter to survey the area but no sharks were spotted, according to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
The last known shark attack in New York City was in 1958, according to the Global Shark Attack File.
The Parks Department said this was the first shark bite at Rockaway Beach in recent memory.
"Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark attacks in Rockaway are extremely rare," the department said in a statement. "We remain vigilant in monitoring the beach and always clear the water when a shark is spotted."
Rockaway Beach will be closed on Tuesday as a safety precaution and crews will conduct aerial surveillance to monitor for sharks, the parks department said.
ABC News' Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.
