ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Two children are recovering Thursday after being hurt in apparent shark attacks off Fire Island. The 12-year-old girl and 13-year-old boy were swimming at two separate beaches Wednesday less than five miles apart. The first incident happened at Sailors Haven Beach where 12-year-old Lola Pollina was swimming in waist deep water with her younger brother. “I kinda thought it was a dream. I didn’t think it was actually happening,” she said. The girl was bitten by what appeared to be a shark. “It was like this tannish, orangey looking body and this small fin on top,” she said. “When I got out, my leg was bloody.” “When I looked back, I see her in the water struggling,” her mother, Barbara Pollina said. Lifeguards bandaged Lola’s leg and she was taken to the hospital. Elizabeth Rogers, a spokeswoman for Fire Island National Seashore, said the girl suffered bite marks “consistent with a large fish.” Then just minutes later, a 13-year-old boy was boogie boarding at a day camp on Atlantique Beach when something latched onto his leg. “I brought him out of the water. He had blood on his leg,” a lifeguard said. “I didn’t think about it till we got out of the water and saw lifeguards wrapping his leg up, blood all over the place,” one camper said. EMTs pulled a tooth from one of the deep gashes around his knee. “A tooth was found in the bite wound, consistent with a large fish,” said Rogers. Long Island officials call these two incidents incredible rare, but say summer is shark mating season and anything is possible. Wednesday evening, Gov. Andrew Cuomo deployed Department of Environmental Conservation officers to investigate the waters where the attacks happened. “I probably will go in the water cause I like the beach and ocean, but I’ll be more careful,” said Lola. Both children are expected to make full recoveries. Long Island officials will re-assess Thursday morning before reopening both beaches to swimmers.
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2 Children Recovering After Possible Shark Attacks Off Fire Island
