Lyudmila Emag became one of two victims of shark bites to receive treatment at a Long Island hospital on July 4th. Dr. Nadia Baranchuk, who had no prior experience with shark bites, treated both patients. This incident may indicate a new normal as sharks have returned to the waters off New York.
Emag, a 47-year-old nurse practitioner, was swimming off the shore of Fire Island when she felt something clamp down on her thigh. She initially thought it was a trap, feeling pressure rather than sharp pain. She was able to push off the shark after several seconds and swim to shore. The bites on her leg revealed marks left by the shark’s teeth. It was only after she got out of the water that her friends realized she had been bitten by a shark.
Emag was transported to South Shore University Hospital where she was treated by Dr. Nadia Baranchuk, who had to handle another shark bite patient that same day. The fact that two unprovoked shark bites were treated in a single day in New York is surprising, as there were only 57 documented unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2022.
While the chances of getting bitten by a shark are still low, the number of shark bites in New York is increasing. In 2022, there were eight reported unprovoked shark bites in New York, compared to only 12 reported in the state’s history. This year, there were five reported bites over the Fourth of July holiday alone.
Treating shark bites is similar to treating bites from any animal, but the size of sharks presents a greater risk of tissue loss. Dr. Sanjey Gupta, the chair of emergency medicine at South Shore, explains that his department saw one confirmed shark bite patient in 2022 and one about four years ago. But with the increase in shark sightings off Long Island, Gupta included an extreme shark bite scenario in a training day for doctors.
Despite the shark bite, Emag remains undeterred from swimming at the beach, but plans to be more cautious in murky waters or areas with lots of bait fish. Long Island swimmers are now learning how to share waters with sharks and prioritize safety. While shark bites are still rare, officials are monitoring for sharks and temporarily closing down beaches when necessary.
It’s important for swimmers to be aware of the potential risks and take necessary precautions when entering waters that sharks frequent.
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