New York City's Rockaway Beach has been closed to the public on Tuesday after a 50-year-old woman sustained a shark bite on Monday evening, according to officials.

The woman was swimming near Beach 59th Street when a shark bit her leg, as reported by New York City Parks officials.

Lifeguards quickly removed the woman from the water and administered first aid before transporting her to the hospital.

Officials have confirmed that she is currently in critical but stable condition, with a deep cut on her thigh.

This incident marks the first documented shark bite at Rockaway Beach in recent memory, the parks department noted.

In a statement, the parks department expressed its hope for the swimmer's full recovery and emphasized that while the event was distressing, shark bites in the Rockaway area are exceptionally rare.

This summer, the state of New York has witnessed several human encounters with sharks near its Long Island beaches. Experts attribute this to sharks swimming closer to the shore due to warming waters resulting from climate change and a recent New York law protecting the primary food source of sharks, bunker fish.

Drones are providing unprecedented views of sharks New York Governor Kathy Hochul has dispatched additional drones to local authorities to monitor shark activity close to the shore, allowing lifeguards to take precautionary measures if necessary.

Following the shark bite on Monday, helicopters scoured the waters for sharks but none were located, as indicated by the parks department. Both New York City's fire and police departments will continue their search efforts in the water, and Rockaway Beach will remain inaccessible to surfers and swimmers on Tuesday.

Experts stress that shark attacks are exceedingly rare. According to data from the International Shark Attack File, New York state recorded just 8 unprovoked shark bites in 2022, and none of them were fatal. Photo by Andre Carrotflower, Wikimedia commons.