Sharks, dangerous rip currents on the minds of many at Long Island beaches
LIDO BEACH, N.Y. -- There are new warnings on Long Island about safety at the beach.
At least five people have apparently been bitten by sharks this week, and there are also concerns about rip currents.
The mother of an athletic high schooler who was killed by a rip current in Mexico several years ago spoke at Nickerson Beach on Wednesday. She and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman are on education patrol.
"Your chances of getting bitten by a shark are, you know, one in a million, maybe more, but your chances of getting caught in a rip current are much, much more probable," Blakeman said.
Watch Jennifer McLogan's report
July has been designated as Rip Current Awareness Month at Nassau County beaches. Data suggests 71 swimmers across the nation will lose their lives this year to rip currents.
Josephine de Moura of Garden City knows the pain all too well. Her talented gymnast daughter, Alexandra, was caught in a rip and didn't know what to do.
"If I can save one family from the devastation that my family and I are going through, this is my mission," de Moura said. "Knowledge is power."
Alexandra de Moura was an elite athlete at Garden City High School and George Washington University. An executive order signed in her name will require all Nassau County beaches to post signs explaining how to survive a rip current. Experts say to swim parallel to shore until you are out of its grip. Most importantly, don't fight it.
Sharks were also on the minds of Long Islanders on Wednesday afternoon as word spread of five bite victims off our coast -- in Quogue and Robert Moses State Park and on Fire Island -- in less than 48 hours.
Two teenagers, two men and a woman are recovering, including 15-year-old Peter Banculli of North Babylon, who was bitten while surfing off Fire Island.
"I was looking to catch a wave on the surfboard and then I feel this very hard tug on my ankle. It felt like a bear trap, almost. And then my first reaction was just to get out of the water as quickly as I can," Banculli said.
CBS New York spoke via Zoom to Banculli, who is out of the hospital and recovering back on Fire Island with his family.
"When I first got to the shore, that is when the blood really started to rush out of my foot," Banculli said.
His friend, Joseph Kalhorn, saw the shark and helped guide Banculli ashore.
"It all happened so quick. I'm just hoping he heals fast and he can get out," Kalhorn said.
They say safety awareness and encouragement are needed.
When asked when he plans to get back in the water, Banculli said, "As soon as I have a full recovery. Hopefully get back in right away. My mom's pretty nervous for me, actually."
The risk of swimmers being killed by a shark is about 1 in 4 million, and experts say sharks are more interested in fish than people.
"If we were on their menu, we would absolutely not stand a chance," said Craig O'Connell, executive director of the O'Seas Conservation Foundation.
So why the increase in shark sightings?
"It's really just there's more sharks being videoed and put on TV. So, it's more of a perception than reality," said Gregg Metzger, of the Shark Research Education Program at the South Fork Nature Center. "The sharks have always been here. The perception that there are more sharks now than there ever has been is because there are way more people looking for them."
He told us swimmers should proceed with caution, but not live in fear.
"A lot of people would say, what do I do if I see that dorsal fin in the water?" CBS New York's Dick Brennan asked.
"Yeah, I mean, the best thing that you could do is, as calmly as you can, remove yourself from the water ... Animals attack to either protect themselves or to feed. And if these sharks were looking to feed on people, the injury sustained would be much more severe than what they are," Metzger said.
Metzger says it's possible that some of the victims were bitten by baby sharks that aren't quite sure yet what they are chowing down on.
All the victims over the past two days will recover, of course with quite a story to tell.
There were eight attacks in the summer of 2022. This summer already looks busier.
CLICK HERE for a list of beach safety tips from the nonprofit Ocearch.