Overview
- A six-year-old, identified as Kiara Paolasin, was swept from the Sebonac Creek into the Great Peconic Bay just after 8 a.m. on Saturday and later found unresponsive by witnesses.
- A 16-year-old relative tried to reach the child but could not overcome the strong current, and family members flagged down a passing kayaker who pulled Kiara from the water and rowed her to shore.
- Paramedics transported Kiara to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital where she was pronounced dead after the rescue.
- Southampton Town Police are investigating the incident as a suspected drowning and the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office has not released an official cause of death.
- The drowning occurred during a busy Fourth of July weekend when high temperatures and the Sebonac Creek’s outflow into Great Peconic Bay can create hazardous currents for swimmers and children.