Cocoa Beach Closed After Lifeguards Spot Shark
Sighting
On Wednesday, April 17, 2019, Brevard County Ocean Rescue lifeguards mandated a temporary evacuation from the ocean on a stretch at Sheperd Park in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The order was issued after a shark were spotted in the ocean. Lifeguards closed off access to the ocean around 12:30 p.m., and it lasted approximately 30 minutes.
The spotted shark was a blacktip shark, which is notorious for passing through to the Atlantic Ocean every April as the water temperatures begin to rise. While this isn’t uncommon to see, lifeguards take precautions to ensure no one is in the water when there’s a potential shark threat.
Brevard County Ocean Rescue Chief Eisen Witcher weighed in on the sighting, saying, “We had a blacktip shark that came into the area. So we pulled everybody out of the water for about 45 minutes. We close the beach whenever they get to about 100 to 200 yards near the shore.” With Easter weekend around the corner and summer quickly approaching, beaches are forecasted to be more crowded. It’s advised that beach goers keep an eye out for any signs of shark activity, as well as any other abnormal or threatening activity.
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