Shark spotted in water off Rockaway Beach
NEW YORK -- Many people enjoying Rockaway Beach on Monday had to get out of the water due to a shark sighting.
It was spotted around 11:30 a.m. in the Hammels section.
The Parks Department says Beach 99-74 was closed for swimming for about an hour.
"The shark was probably 50 yards out, and they called for everybody to get out of the water," Brooklyn resident Chip Newell said. "It was a brown fin. Definitely wasn't a dolphin ... There were a lot of helicopter here within a matter of probably 15 minutes. It was pretty crazy."
The NYPD did aerial surveillance, and people were allowed back in the water when it was deemed safe.
