A family trip to Southampton, NY ended in tragedy after a 6-year-old Brooklyn girl was swept away by a powerful current while trying to retrieve a shoe that had floated into the water.
Kiara Paolasin was visiting Southampton with her family on Saturday, July 4, when the suspected drowning occurred near Sebonac Creek, which leads into Great Peconic Bay.
Witnesses said Kiara entered the water to get the drifting shoe but slipped and was quickly pulled away by the current, according to The Southampton Press.
A 16-year-old family member immediately went into the water and tried to reach her. However, the current was reportedly too strong, preventing the teenager from getting close enough to help.
The family eventually attracted the attention of a kayaker, who paddled toward Kiara and pulled her from the water.
By the time members of the Southampton Town Police Department, Volunteer Ambulance, Fire Department and Marine Patrol arrived, the kayaker was bringing the unresponsive child back to shore.
Kiara was transported to Southampton Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The Southampton Town Police Department’s Detective Division is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the girl’s death.
The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office will also conduct a follow-up investigation and determine her official cause of death.
Southampton Town Police did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.
The tragedy unfolded as thousands of visitors poured into the Hamptons for the Fourth of July weekend amid dangerously hot conditions.
An extreme heat warning remained in effect across Long Island, with the National Weather Service warning that heat index values could climb to around 105 degrees throughout Saturday night.
