Drowning of former Team USA triathlete off Shelter Island prompts water safety warning

The apparent drowning of a married father of two young girls near a luxury Shelter Island hotel is prompting a warning for Labor Day weekend visitors not to underestimate the strong tides and currents that sweep the East End’s open waters.

Spencer M. Korwin, a former Team USA triathlete, entered the water from the Pridwin Hotel’s private dock Wednesday morning and was found underwater near the dock about seven hours later, according to Shelter Island police officials.

The 38-year-old New York City resident graduated from Syracuse University and joined SportsLab NYC as a trainer in 2013 before launching Korwin Health & Wellness in Manhattan. He qualified for Team USA in 2012 and competed at the Triathlon World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, according to SportsLab’s website.

That athletic background underscores what local officials and experienced swimmers say is an important Labor Day warning: Even top-notch swimmers can underestimate the tides and currents around Shelter Island and the East End.

“People are not familiar with the waters around here,” said Laurie Eckardt, a lifelong Shelter Island resident who lives on Stearns Point near the Pridwin and spends summers swimming at Crescent Beach with her children and grandchildren.

John Kirincic – a master for the Southold Town Police Department’s Marine One, which was involved in the search for the missing swimmer – said the current in the area is typically strong because of the narrow passage where the tide flows.

He said Wednesday morning’s conditions were seemingly calm.

“There wasn’t anything unusual,” Mr. Kirincic said. “There was no fog or anything bad.”

The Pridwin/Crescent Beach area is not generally considered a hazardous area for swimmers, added Shelter Island Police Chief James Read.

“However, these are open waters where tides, currents and boat traffic are always considerations,” Mr. Read told The Suffolk Times.

Crescent Beach was eerily quiet Thursday morning under an overcast sky, with a new sign warning “Swimming Not Advised” posted near the beach. By late afternoon, the sun broke through and beachgoers returned.

In front of the Sunset Beach Hotel, a family with young children played beach volleyball. Jennifer Netta of Watchung, N.J., who was visiting Shelter Island for the first time with family from Manhattan, said the beach looked deceptively calm.

“I was very surprised by the fact that there’s the most lovely fine-sand beach right across the street [from the hotel] with very simple waves, nothing too harsh,” she said.

Matthew Stromberg, who runs a local paddleboard rental company there, also said the water had been calm Wednesday and that Crescent Beach is generally considered one of the safer swimming spots on Shelter Island.

Mr. Korwin did not enter the water from Crescent Beach or another town-lifeguarded swimming area. Police said he went into the water between 8 and 8:30 a.m.

His death was the second apparent drowning off Shelter Island this summer. In May, 18-year-old SUNY Albany student Timothy Magambo drowned off Wades Beach while visiting the Island with friends.

Police said he became separated from a group attempting to swim toward Shell Beach and was later found floating several hundred yards from where he had last been seen, according to previous reporting by Shelter Island Reporter, The Suffolk Times’s sister paper.

The danger has not been limited to Shelter Island. Six-year-old Kiara Paolasin of Brooklyn drowned near Sebonac Inlet in Southampton on July 4 after police said a strong current swept her into Great Peconic Bay. And during one stretch in early August, East Hampton Town lifeguards reported 137 rescues or preventive saves amid dangerous rip currents, most of them along the busy downtown Montauk beachfront.

The latest warnings come as the North Fork and Shelter Island head into what is expected to be an inviting Labor Day weekend. The National Weather Service is forecasting partly sunny skies and a high near 82 Friday, mostly sunny conditions with only a slight chance of showers Saturday, mostly sunny skies Sunday and a sunny Labor Day with temperatures in the mid-70s.

Officials urged swimmers to use lifeguarded beaches whenever possible and remain alert to changing tides and currents.

Wades Beach and Crescent Beach will have lifeguards on duty from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday. In Southold Town, only two to three beaches are expected to have lifeguards Saturday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The reduced coverage during one of summer’s busiest weekends comes as many seasonal guards have already returned to college for the fall semester, according to local families familiar with the town’s beach staffing.

Southold Police Capt. Scott Latham told The Suffolk Times that swimmers should know their limitations and not venture into water that is too deep or where currents are too strong.

Officials said preliminary information placed low tide near the time Mr. Korwin entered the water, but they have not determined whether tides, currents or any other water conditions contributed to his death.

The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of death.

Police have said the drowning appears accidental, with no indication of criminality, though the investigation remains open.

“Enjoy the water, but respect it,” Mr. Read said. “Swim at a lifeguarded beach whenever possible, don’t swim alone, be aware of tides and currents, and use additional caution around docks and areas with boat traffic. Parents should closely supervise children around the water, and boaters should also be particularly attentive with the increased holiday weekend activity. Even strong and experienced swimmers should never underestimate open water or changing conditions.”

Additional reporting by Shelter Island Reporter contributor Jackson Rohrer