NEW ORLEANS — A child was bitten at New Orleans beach this week, an area that had been officially closed since 1964, hospital officials said Saturday.
According to Janick Lewis, a spokesperson for New Orleans Emergency Medical Services, said the child’s family was visiting the beach, located on Lake Ponchartrain on Wednesday, when the attack occurred, NOLA.com reported. The spokesperson said the child’s injuries met the level of a trauma patient, according to CNN.
No other details were given, including the child’s age, gender and the extent of their injuries, according to NOLA.com.
Alligator bites child at Lincoln Beach, New Orleans paramedics say https://t.co/YLf6QSAc9n
— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) September 2, 2023
It also was unclear how large the alligator was.
According to the City of New Orleans’ website, Lincoln Beach is approximately 15 acres in area and is bounded on three sides by Lake Ponchartrain.
The beach was established in the early 1900s and was once a popular recreational spot for Black people in the area, the website stated. It closed in 1964, but city officials said there is “ample evidence of unpermitted and unlawful use of the beach” since then.
“Prior to being closed, the beach was accessible through a tunnel beneath the levee. The tunnel is currently fenced and filled with water and wildlife including alligators and venomous snakes,” the city’s website notes.
In a statement released on Friday, the city said that “Lincoln Beach is not safe right now,” CNN reported.
Earlier this summer, a man’s body was discovered hanging at the beach, according to NOLA.com.
