50.0°,
Overcast Reports of shark sightings briefly close beaches
Dolphins, stingrays mistaken for sharks, lifeguards close beaches as a precaution
Long Beach Lifeguards briefly closed the beaches on Monday, Aug. 8, following reports of a shark sighting that afternoon which turned out to be false.
According to Chief of Lifeguards Paul Gillespie, beachgoers were not permitted to enter the water for approximately 30 minutes as lifeguards searched the area on jet skis.
“If you get a shark sighting, we close the whole beach, down from Azores to Ohio Avenue,” Gillespie said. “We had a few phone calls, and Atlantic Beach Club and East Atlantic Beach closed.”
Gillespie said the sightings turned out to be dolphins and stingrays, and that beachgoers were allowed to return to the water at 12:35 p.m.
“We are seeing dolphins, the same as last year,” Gillespie said. “They say they caught sharks down at Silver Point, but I don’t think it was confirmed.”
