A Fourth of July family trip to the Hamptons ended in tragedy.
Kiara Paolasin, a 6-year-old girl from Brooklyn, died after police say a strong current swept her away near Southampton.
Authorities are still investigating the suspected drowning, and the official cause of death has not yet been released by the medical examiner.
Brooklyn girl, 6, dies after being swept away by current in Hamptons https://t.co/ZFMcs6C92Y pic.twitter.com/LCqZ2vlBwC
— New York Post (@nypost) July 5, 2026
The New York Post placed the tragedy on a crowded holiday weekend, as families poured into the Hamptons for the Fourth of July.
The Post identified the child as Kiara Paolasin of Brooklyn and said she was found unresponsive in the waters of Great Peconic Bay after going into the water just after 8 a.m. Saturday while her family was visiting the area.
The report said a 16-year-old relative tried to rescue her, but the current was too strong, and family members then got the attention of a nearby kayaker who moved toward the child.
That kayaker brought the child back toward shore, where first responders were waiting, before she was taken to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and pronounced dead.
Patch, citing Southampton Town police, provided the clearest police timeline: the 911 call came in around 8:09 a.m. on July 4 for a possible drowning at the beach at the end of Sebonac Inlet Road.
Southampton Volunteer Ambulance, the Southampton Fire Department, Southampton Town Marine Patrol, and Southampton Town Police all responded to the scene.
Officers were told that a juvenile girl had been swept into Great Peconic Bay by the current flowing through from Sebonac Creek, and a kayaker was already bringing her unresponsive body back to shore as police arrived.
Patrol officers began CPR, EMS continued resuscitation efforts, and the child was transported to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police said witnesses described a heartbreaking sequence: Kiara had gone into the water to retrieve footwear that was floating away, slipped, and was pulled by the current.
A 16-year-old family member attempted to go into the water to help her, but police said the current prevented the teen from reaching the child.
The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office was contacted for follow-up, and Southampton Town Police detectives are continuing the investigation.
Girl, 6, Dies After Being Swept by Current as Eyewitnesses Say She Attempted to Retrieve Lost Shoe on Family Vacation https://t.co/np8EGOTJsL
— People (@people) July 5, 2026
People also focused on the lost-shoe detail and the family vacation setting, underscoring how quickly the situation turned from ordinary to catastrophic.
Its report said Kiara and her family were visiting Southampton when she entered the water Saturday morning, slipped, and was carried by the current from Sebonac Creek toward Great Peconic Bay.
People also noted that the girl was pulled from the water unresponsive, that emergency responders were present as she was brought to shore, and that she was later pronounced dead at Southampton Hospital after efforts to save her.
The outlet said Southampton Town Police detectives are still reviewing the circumstances, while the medical examiner’s office will determine the official cause of death after the follow-up review.
The facts are simple and devastating.
A little girl went into the water on a holiday weekend, a current took hold, and a family vacation became a nightmare no parent should ever have to face.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
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