Popular Beach Closed After Rare Shark Attack Leaves Woman Hospitalized

A 50-year-old woman is recovering in the hospital after being attacked by a shark on Rockaway Beach in New York. The attack occurred Monday (August 7) night just before 6 p.m.

When paramedics arrived, they found the woman with a leg injury and rushed her to the hospital in critical condition. Her condition has since upgraded to stable condition with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

After the attack, lifeguards called everybody to get out of the water and closed down the beach.

"Everybody was leaving the beach, and they were just like, 'Don't get in the water,' and I was like, 'What happened?' Somebody got bit by a shark," one beachgoer told WABC.

The New York City Police Department dispatched a helicopter and used drones to try to locate the shark.

Authorities decided to keep the beach closed on Tuesday due to recent shark activity in the area.

"We hope for a full recovery for this swimmer. Though this was a frightening event, we want to remind New Yorkers that shark attacks in Rockaway are extremely rare. We remain vigilant in monitoring the beach and always clear the water when a shark is spotted," the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation said in a statement to Fox News.