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Police / Police News / Southampton Press / 1505801

65-Year-Old Woman Dies After Boating Incident

authorStaff Writer on Aug 7, 2019

A 65-year-old woman died on Saturday after she fell off a tube being pulled by a boat and suffered some sort of medical incident that prevented her from getting back into the boat, Southampton Town Police said.

On Saturday at about 1:30 p.m., the Southampton Town Police Department received a 911 call regarding a victim of a boating incident in Peconic Bay. The woman and a 13-year-old girl were reported to have fallen off a tube being pulled by a boat, police said. The young girl was pulled back onto the boat, but the woman was unable to get back into the boat. Police said she possibly suffered a medical issue and became unconscious.

Southampton Town Police officers, bay constables, Suffolk County Police Aviation and Hampton Bays Ambulance responded to the incident. Suffolk County Aviation was ultimately able to locate the drifting vessel and directed responding marine units to the location where the woman was able to be pulled from the water. The woman was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.

Detective Lieutenant James Kiernan of the Southampton Town Police Department on Sunday confirmed that the incident occurred between Southold and Southampton in the Peconic Bay on a pontoon boat. Four people were on board at the time of the incident: a man, who was operating the boat; his wife; their 13-year-old niece; and the 65-year-old woman, who was the cousin of the operator.

The 13-year-old and 65-year-old were being pulled by the boat on a tube. They both fell off, Det. Lt. Kiernan said. The boat came around to pick them up, and as the 13-year-old jumped back onto the boat, the 65-year-old replied that she couldn’t. She was in distress and hanging onto the boat, he said. At some point, the woman became unconscious. It is unknown at this time if she had some type of medical emergency or what the cause of death was, Det. Lt. Kiernan said. When police responded, the woman had already died.

A medical examiner will be examining the body, and no criminality is apparent.

Southampton Town Police detectives are investigating the incident. The identity of the victim is being withheld until family can be notified.

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