No sharks in sight as Long Islanders flock to the beach

JONES BEACH, N.Y. (PIX11) -- State officials said there have been zero shark sightings all along the shores of Long Island so far this season— in a notable change of pace from the last few years.

The news comes on the Fourth of July with swimmers packing the pools and beaches across the region.

By mid-Thursday, some of the smaller beaches on Long Island were at capacity, while there was plenty of room to enjoy the sand and the surf at Jones Beach.

Jones will see somewhere in the neighborhood 175,000 people for the evening fireworks show and afternoon sunset.

“I planned the whole day, lots of food, lots of drinks, a whole case of water,” said Susan Pataki in a red, white and blue bathing suit. “We come early and we stay late.”

The nearby West Bathhouse was equally crowded, with state pools offering free admission this summer. It reached capacity almost immediately, with people who made it inside saying they arrived at 8:30 a.m. to get a spot.

Back at Jones Beach, some 250 lifeguards led by Boatswain (supervising lifeguard) Cary Epstein keep a watchful eye.

He sends up a drone at least three times a day to survey for safety and sharks. Fortunately, this has been a historically safe year. From Montauk to the City, there have been no sightings.

“So far far so good, and let’s keep it that way,” Epstein said. “The sharks are in the ocean, and we want to not choose fear over facts. So the sharks are there, we have not seen them, so it’s safe to swim and we will continue to monitor and will have a good safe summer.”