Pelham teen dies in apparent drowning off Shelter Island
A Pelham teen separated from seven friends during a swim between Wades and Shell beaches died after rescue crews pulled him from the water.
Timothy Magambo, 18, of Pelham died after an apparent drowning off Wades Beach on Shelter Island after he became separated from a group of seven friends during a walkout and swim between beaches.
Shelter Island police said the group entered the water on Saturday afternoon, May 16, intending to cross the channel from Wades Beach to Shell Beach. Magambo turned back alone toward Wades Beach and lost contact with the others. When the group could not find him, a bystander and members of the group located him floating face-down several hundred yards from where he had last been seen.
Police, the Shelter Island Fire Department and Shelter Island Town Emergency Medical Services responded at about 3:09 p.m. Lifesaving measures were started immediately after he was brought to shore, then Magambo was taken to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital and transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he died. Police said the death appeared accidental and no criminality was suspected. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office is also investigating.
Multiple local reports identified Magambo as a Pelham Memorial High School Class of 2025 graduate and a freshman at the University at Albany, where he was studying business finance. One report said he was visiting Shelter Island with friends, including at least one friend whose family has a residence on the island.
The case is a stark reminder of how quickly an open-water outing can turn deadly, even at a beach known to families. Shelter Island’s beach information describes Wades Beach as a family-friendly spot with lifeguards and a shallow swimming area, and the town’s permit season began May 15, just as the East End moved into the holiday and early-summer beach season. But a channel crossing between beaches adds distance, changing currents and the risk of separation, especially when swimmers split up or one person turns back alone.
The warning reaches well beyond Shelter Island. Stony Brook Medicine has said Suffolk County drowning fatalities increased 60 percent from 2023 to 2024. New York State health officials say more than 150 people drown each year statewide, with drowning ranking among the leading causes of death for children ages 1 to 4 and 5 to 14.
For families heading to Long Island beaches, the safest lesson from Wades Beach is plain: keep open-water swims short, stay together, choose lifeguarded areas, and never let anyone peel off alone during a crossing. When someone goes missing in the water, every minute matters.
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