NEW YORK CITY (NBC) -- Four people walking or playing on New York City beaches have suffered puncture wounds from needles in the sand in the last three weeks, park officials said.
The most recent incident happened late Tuesday afternoon in Queens, when a lifeguard on duty at Rockaway Beach stepped on a needle.
The other three incidents happened within the last three weeks on Staten Island.
"You don't know where these needles come from," said Crystal Matis of Elm Park, who was at the beach Wednesday with her young daughter. "It's very scary."
The Parks Department promised last month to clean up a stretch of Rockaway Beach after medical waste, including syringes, was found littering the sand.
The department said Wednesday it conducts daily beach cleanings, but strict budgets only allow for so much sand maintenance.
Parks advocate Geoffrey Croft criticized that response.
"The administration needs to figure this out because that's a lot of stabbings within a couple weeks," said Croft.
NBC