NYPD using drones to spot sharks 100 yards offshore is "helping people stay safe"

Shark sightings are becoming all too common on some New York City beaches, and the NYPD is turning to technology to help keep swimmers safe.

Drones are now spotting and tracking sharks in real time, before they get too close to beachgoers.

They're the eyes in the sky, watching every wave, swimmer, and now, every shark.

From high above the surf of four city beaches, including Rockaway, the NYPD's drone team has become an extra set of eyes for lifeguards below by flying about 100 yards offshore every day during lifeguard hours, looking for sharks and any swimmers who may need help.

"It's a tool we absolutely love, we believe in. It's helping people stay safe," Det. Jorge Bravo said.

Detectives say since the NYPD started using drones three years ago, it has seen the most shark activity at Rockaway Beach. So far this summer, shark sightings have forced almost 50 temporary beach closures citywide.

"If we do spot a shark swimming in the water, we get on our radios and immediately notify the lifeguards," Bravo said.

The NYPD has spotted and tracked seven sharks so far, just one shy of the eight they tracked during all of last summer.

Other city-run organizations, which also use drones to monitor sharks, have seen even more.

For beachgoers, the drones provide an extra layer of safety.

"Lifeguard, all the time goes, 'Shark, shark!'" one said.

"We have all seen 'Jaws' and we know what the nightmares are in that scenario," added Steve Haller of Brooklyn.

Surfers like Mike Zuska say the warnings are welcome, but they also know these animals are part of the ocean they love.

"I seen one two weeks ago, swam between me and a surfer. It was a big thresher shark," Zuska said. "I just stayed calm. Alert all the other surfers. Let it pass by. It's their house."

The NYPD said its goal isn't to keep people out of the water; it's to give them more information and keep more eyes on the ocean.