Overview
- Police say Kiara Paolasin, 6, slipped while trying to retrieve a sandal and was pulled by a strong current from Sebonac Creek into the Great Peconic Bay on Saturday, July 4.
- A 16-year-old relative tried to reach her but could not because of the swift current, and a passing kayaker recovered Kiara unresponsive and brought her to shore where she was taken to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and pronounced dead.
- The Southampton Town Police Detective Division and the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office are leading the inquiry and have not released an official cause of death, with investigators asking anyone with information to contact the department.
- The incident took place during the Fourth of July holiday when large crowds and a regional heat wave brought many visitors to Long Island beaches and when inlet channels like Sebonac Creek are known for strong, localized currents that can quickly pull swimmers into open water.
- Kiara’s family is mourning a sudden loss and the case could prompt renewed safety warnings and increased patrols at creek mouths and inlet areas where currents pose hazards to children and inexperienced swimmers.