Marine units and other law enforcement assets from around the region were on scene Thursday afternoon searching for a 31-year-old Queens man, Dario Cholula, who went missing last night while reportedly fishing the waters off North Haven.
Mr. Cholula, who was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans, was last seen between 9 and 11 Wednesday night, according to a brief press release today from Southampton Town police.
Mr. Cholula was staying at a residence along Ferry Road and entered Sag Harbor Bay around 9 p.m., south of Tyndall Point. "It was discovered in the morning of Oct. 20, 2022, that Dario never returned," Southampton police reported Thursday afternoon.
Residents reported lots of police activity in the area -- Suffolk County police helicopters were spotted circling the area where Mr. Cholula may have been fishing, Southampton Town unmanned drones were searching for the missing kayaker, and a dive team member from an unspecified police agency was seen pulling into the parking lot at North Haven Village Hall.
Agencies involved in the search include Southampton patrol units, Southampton Town Marine Patrol, East Hampton Town Marine Patrol, and Sag Harbor Marine Patrol.
A resident posted on social media today a photo of a beached Old Town kayak lying on its side with the embedded text "Not good news -- a carpenter from construction next door went fishing last night and is missing."
"The red kayak that Dario was using was located approximately 1,000 feet south of the residence he left from and was partially overturned in the water with a fishing pole inside of the kayak," Southampton Town police said in a missing-person bulletin issued today.
Mr. Cholula is described as a Latino male weighing about 160 pounds and standing 5 feet 6 inches tall.
Anyone with information about Mr. Cholula's whereabouts is encouraged to call the Southampton Town Police Detective Division at 631-728-5000 or call or email the tips hotline at 631-728-3454 or [email protected].
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
