Thursday, October 1, 2026
Around 11:30 a.m. Thursday morning, minutes after Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti announced an initiative to increase equipment for the town’s Shark Patrol, local beaches at Lido, Point Lookout, Malibu and Nickerson were shut down after a shark was seen off the coast. The beaches were closed for at least an hour after the confirmed sighting. No injuries were reported. The shark's size and species could not be confirmed.
Eastern sections of Ocean Beach Park, located west of the incident, were temporarily closed. Lifeguards used Jet Skis to search the area and ensure security before eventually reopening access to the beach.
Town lifeguards spotted the shark and beachgoers were quickly pulled from the water, including an ongoing surf lesson with instructors and students from Camp ANCHOR. The Shark Patrol followed protocol, with a lifeguard patrolling the water in a Jet Ski while drone operator Andrew O’Brien, a town lifeguard since 1996, monitored the area from overhead. The shark was initially reported to be heading west but was not spotted again.
Lynne Smith, a current resident of Charlotte, NC, grew up in the area and is visiting family in Lido Beach. Smith was sitting beachfront, unconcerned and unbothered by the shark sighting. “We always vacationed in the Outer Banks with the kids when they were young, so you would always hear about sharks.”
Smith noticed the lifeguards’ urgent activity, setting up red flags and pulling swimmers from the water, and asked if there was a riptide concern. “They said, ‘No, active marine life.’” She explained. “We saw the helicopter going. And the birds did get very active around here.”
At the news conference earlier in the day, Ferretti said that Rockaway Beach, located roughly 10 miles west of Lido Beach, had reported 23 shark sightings in the past eight weeks — 16 of those sightings happening just this month. On July 2, a shark was spotted in Lido Beach, with a confirmed shark bite taking place at Jones Beach the following day.
“Every morning, before our beaches open to the public, town lifeguards sweep the waters with a drone equipped with thermal and infrared technology,” Ferretti explained. “Our lifeguards are among the best trained professionals anywhere in the country, and they remain alert through every minute of beach operations.”
This is a developing story. We will update this story as we receive new information.
