Shark bite victim attacked on NYC beach left disabled despite five surgeries

18 August 2023 , 19:04

785     0

Lifeguards pulled Koltunyuk, originally from Ukraine, from the water at off Rockaway Beach after she was bitten while swimming (Image: Facebook/Tatyana Koltunyuk)

A 65-year-old woman attacked by a shark on a New York City beach has been left disabled despite undergoing five surgeries, her daughter said.

Tatyana Koltunyuk was attacked by the shark on August 7, with medics saying it could years of physical therapy and close medical monitoring. Her daughter Darya Koltunyuk said: "Though the full impact of her injury is not yet known, it has left her with a permanent disability."

Lifeguards pulled Koltunyuk, originally from Ukraine, from the water at off Rockaway Beach after she was bitten while swimming, leaving her with a wound several inches wide and deep. A tourniquet was applied to her leg before was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Darya Koltunyuk, a pianist and the outreach manager at Princeton University Concerts, said her mother will remain hospitalised for at least several more weeks. Tatyana Koltunyuk emigrated to the United States from Ukraine with her husband and then three-year-old daughter in the 1990s. Koltunyuk’s husband died of a heart attack a few weeks after the family arrived, their daughter said.

Tatyana Koltunyuk is treated on the beach after being pulled from the water at Rockaway Beach (WABC)

Tatyana Koltunyuk worked tirelessly to support her daughter on her own and had hoped to enjoy her retirement, her daughter said. Darya Koltunyuk added: “She talked about swimming in the ocean every day, walking around the city with a new puppy, and traveling with us.

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

"My husband and I will do everything in our power to make her retirement as comfortable and enjoyable as we possibly can, but the road ahead will be extremely challenging for her and for our family." Experts said Koltunyuk’s bite was the most serious shark attack in New York waters in decades.

Shark sightings and minor bites have become more frequent in the region in recent years as the predators are drawn closer to shore by a growing population of the bait fish they feed on. At least 13 swimmers reported being bitten off the coast of Long Island in the past two summers, surpassing the total of reported bites throughout New York history prior to 2022. None of those injuries were considered serious.

Workers with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation plant a red flag warning visitors swimming is prohibited on Rockaway beach (AP)

However, terrified residents near Rockaway Beach in Queens are now worried killer great whites have invaded the state after a surge in attacks. Scientists have said sharks are returning to Long Island waters thanks to recovered populations of bait fish, like bluefish and bunker fish, as well as improved water quality, that draw in other animals sharks prey on.

The response has included drones patrolling the water, temporary beach closures, and additional lifeguard training, not to mention unease from some residents.

Abigail O'Leary