Logo

A shark of “significant size” was spotted off Hempstead, LI, on Monday — prompting local beach closures, officials said.

The town tweeted out an alert in the early afternoon saying, “A significant size shark was spotted offshore of Lido West Beach.

“The shark was spotted by a Town of Hempstead lifeguard on a surfboard. Due to the shark sighting, the lifeguards have red-flagged the strip of water as per the NYS shark protocols.

“Town of Hempstead Bay Constables have been dispatched to assist with the search.”

The “Shark Spotting Alert” said Civic, Lido and Lido West beaches were closed as a precaution, as were Town Park Point Lookout and Town Park at Sands.

Long Beach also was closed to swimmers because of the sighting.

“The Town of Hempstead has alerted us to a shark sighting in nearby waters,” the city of Long Beach tweeted just after 11 a.m.

“As a precaution, all City of Long Beach beaches are closed to swimming until further notice.”

1 of 5
Beachgoers on Long Beach today.
Beachgoers on Long Beach today.Dennis A. Clark
A Nassau County Police boat patrolling the waters today at Long Beach.
A Nassau County Police boat patrolling the waters today at Long Beach.Dennis A. Clark
Advertisement
A lifeguard on Long Beach today.
A lifeguard on Long Beach today.Dennis A. Clark
Advertisement

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy