Sharks at Long Island Beach Chase Hundreds From Ocean

Two sharks menaced beachgoers on Long Island around noon on Thursday, forcing droves of people out of the water.

"It was a really big shark — it was thin and long and it was scary," Wendy Stechman told NBC New York.

"We saw it swimming on the surface of the water, and we all kind of freaked out," said Danielle Frangas. "It was going back and forth, and back and forth. It was scary."

One photo captured by another beachgoer and posted to Instagram summed up the scene.

 

Ahhhhhhh JAWS! Everyone calm down. It's the ocean. Just sit in ur chairs and have a beer 😎 #sharksattobay

A photo posted by Christina Salavec (@miss_tinnaa) on Jul 23, 2015 at 8:42am PDT

Lifeguards at Tobay Beach signaled everyone out of the water as soon as the sharks were spotted, and one lifeguard even called 911, ABC News reported.

That prompted the dispatch of a Nassau County Police helicopter.

Pilots of the craft confirmed that two sharks were indeed swimming past sandcastles and boogie boarders just 15 feet from the shore. Each was estimated to be roughly 6-feet long, and authorities said they were headed east toward Gilgo Beach.

Bathers were kept out of the water for roughly two hours, prompting many to break for lunch.

Once the all clear was given, some paddle-boarders and swimmers hopped back into the shark soup, while others said they were content to sit and sun.

Related Stories:

• Mick Fanning, Pro Surfer, Fights Off Shark Attack – All on Video
  
• Cape Cod Great White Needs Help Getting Back Out to Sea
  
• Spieth: Sharks Ate the Tuna I Hooked, Then I Reeled in 300-Pound Blacktip