Police ID Hotel Guest Found Dead In Water After Swim Off Shelter Island

SHELTER ISLAND, NY — A New York City man was found dead after going for a morning swim off Shelter Island, police said.

According to Shelter Island police, Spencer M. Korwin, 38, died in an apparent drowning.

Subscribe

At about 12:03 p.m., Shelter Island police, as well as the Shelter Island Fire Department and Shelter Island emergency services, responded to the report of a missing swimmer in the waters of Shelter Island Sound-North Channel, in the area of Crescent Beach on Shelter Island.

Korwin, who was visiting Shelter Island with his family, had reportedly gone for a swim off the dock of a hotel — police did not immediately identify the hotel — where they were staying, police said.

He was last seen about 8 a.m.; several hours later, when he did not return, his wife notified the hotel staff, who contacted emergency services, police said.

Shelter Island town agencies launched an extensive search operation, assisted by multiple agencies including the East Marion Fire Department, Greenport Fire Department, and Southold Fire Department marine units, the Orient Fire Department on stand-by, the Southold Town police marine and dive team, the United States Coast Guard's boat and helicopter units, and Southold Town and Shelter Island police drone units, police said.

Search efforts focused on the Crescent Beach-North Channel area and surrounding waterways, police said.

During the coordinated search, Korwin was located by divers underwater near the dock from which he had entered the water earlier that morning, police said. He was recovered and determined to have succumbed to the incident, police said.

The Shelter Island Police Department, in conjunction with the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office, is conducting a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the drowning, police said.

The cause and manner of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner, police said. At this time, the incident is believed to be accidental and no criminality is suspected, police said.

The cases remains active, pending the final findings and determinations of the Medical Examiner's Office, police said.