New York BEACHES OF TERROR: 5th Shark Victim Bit Wednesday Night

Truly out of the pages of "Jaws", New York beachgoers have a real question on their hands. Is is safe to go in the water? And, if you are on any of the southern Long Island beaches from the Rockaways to Montauk, the answer right now is NO. On Wednesday night, the 5th shark bit victim in two weeks and the 2nd in ONE DAY occurred in waist deep water off the beaches of Fire Island, less than 50 miles from where a surfer was hit Wednesday morning in Smith Point.

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According to a report by Keldy Ortiz and Matthew Chayes of newsday.com a 49-year-old swimmer was bitten on the left wrist and buttocks Wednesday evening by a shark. The attack was confirmed to Newsday by the Suffolk County police said. The victim, who is from Arizona, was waist deep in the water at Seaview Beach when the incident happened at 6:05 p.m. The Arizona man was taken by Suffolk police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries according to police reports to Newsday.

The reports said that the lifeguards leave at 5 p.m., when the beach is closed. Apparently, the swimmer and his 15-year-old nephew were in the water after hours, said Ocean Beach fire chief Ian Levine told Newsday. This is the second attack off of Ocean Beach, Fire Island in a week. On Thursday, a lifeguard was swimming about 200 yards off the beach, as part of a training exercise, and was bitten on the foot by a shark.

Two other victims were bitten off of Smith's point, including a surfer earlier on Wednesday. Another man was bitten on the foot while swimming off Jones Beach. 18 miles from Fire Island's Ocean Beach and 60 miles from Smith's Point.

According to sharkkeeper.com, a Great White Shark can travel at speeds of 15 mph, while another deadly foe, a Mako Shark can travel at speeds upwards of 45 mph. These ocean killers can move quickly and something is going on along the ocean floor off the coast of Long Island. A shark or multiple sharks are biting humans at an unprecedented rate. We will keep you posted on this developing story.