A man swimming in chest-deep water at a Long Island, New York, beach was bitten Tuesday afternoon by what authorities believe was a shark.
The 47-year-old suffered multiple lacerations to his right knee in the incident, the Quogue Village Police Department said in a news release. The village is located on the south shore of Long Island.
Early reports indicate the bite came from a “shark of unknown species,” police said.
“A shark was not physically seen, however, the bite was from a larger marine animal,” police added in the news release.
The man was transferred to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
“Police have notified all surrounding beaches of the marine life activity, and are encouraging patrons to stay out of the water until the situation can be further assessed,” the release said.
The incident came roughly a day after a teen boy was bitten on his toes and heel while surfing off the coast of Fire Island, a thin barrier island running parallel to the shores of Long Island.
The boy’s heel and toes were intact and he was able to swim to shore, police said, and he was taken to a Long Island hospital for treatment.