Two kayakers drown in Shinnecock Bay in Hampton Bays

Two men were found dead early Wednesday after a large-scale search in Shinnecock Bay west of the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays, police said.

Southampton Town Police reported that the search began just after 1:29 a.m. on Wednesday, when family members called in that two kayakers had failed to return from an evening trip.

Detectives determined the men had launched from the old south Ponquogue pier about 8 p.m. Tuesday, paddling a double-occupant kayak west into Shinnecock Bay.

Numerous police and rescue agencies took part in a coordinated search effort.

At about 4 a.m., one victim, Daniel Villa, 25, of Southampton, was located washed ashore near the northwest corner of the Ponquogue Bridge, authorities said.

Soon after, the second man, 43-year-old Juan Carlos Penaranda of Quogue, was found along a bulkhead just north of Amalfi Restaurant.

The two men were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said the investigation remains active and ongoing.

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