Shark-hunting drone unleashed on popular US beach after ‘spate of attacks’– but they only sweep at three key times
DRONES hunt sharks after attacks on popular state beaches escalate.
Five people said they were bitten by sharks two days a week on some of New York’s most popular beaches, inspiring the use of drones.
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The drones are only supposed to spot the sharks to warn people to avoid the water when they’re around.
Also on Thursday, a 10-foot shark was sighted along with 50 sand sharks at Robert Moses State Park, a Long Island beach, delaying the July 4 show.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday that the state would increase surveillance due to the spate of shark attacks.
Several drones will soon be sent to New York’s beach towns, and the state will provide funding to train local personnel to operate those drones, the governor said.
Another New York beach, Jones Beach, began implementing its use immediately.
“We’re more vigilant now than ever,” George Gorman, the state’s Long Island parks director, told the Associated Press on Friday.
“We have drones in the sky watching over the waters. We have lifeguards on WaveRunners watching over the water.
“We’ve already had five bites this year and the season has only just started.
According to Cary Epstein, a lifeguard who pilots drones at Jones Beach, according to AP News, the drones are sweeping the beaches three times a day.
This applies once before opening, then at some point in the afternoon and before the end of the day.
The authorities take shark hunting seriously to ensure people’s safety, but also respect that the ocean is their natural habitat.
“Despite the nervousness about what’s happening in New York right now, people are swimming in the ocean every day and have been for centuries,” Epstein said.
“But we have to remember that we live together and that this is her house.”
The drones allow officers a direct view down the water to get a better look at sharks as they surface.
“When you’re in an elevated lifeguard station or lifeguard stand, you can see up and out, but you can’t see directly down,” Epstein said.
“If we have sharks eating these fish, that’s very, very clear to us. You could see it without asking any questions.”
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