Man drowns in Wildwood Lake
Victim left wife, 5 kids behind
By Tim Gannon
A 34-year-old man was found drowned in Wildwood Lake in Northampton Sunday afternoon, according to Southampton Town Police.
Lucas Saban Chamale, 34, of Riverhead, a native of Guatemala, was found floating in the lake and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police, who said the preliminary investigation indicated Mr. Chamale had been swimming in an area of the lake away from other bathers.
The death is believed to be an accidental drowning, according to Detective Thomas Tully.
The victim was a day laborer who had been sending money back to support his family in Guatamala, according to Det. Tully. Mr. Chamale had been in the Riverhead area for about four years, he said.
Det. Tully said Mr. Chamale's brother-in-law, who also lives in Riverhead, is now trying to raise enough money to ship the man's body back to Guatemala.
"He had a wife and five children that he was supporting in Guatemala. That's why something like this is so devastating," said Sr. Margaret Smyth, of the North Fork Spanish Apostolate, which is helping the family with Mr. Chamale's funeral arrangements. "It was hard before, but it's even harder now."
She said the Guatemalan Embassy will supply a certain amount of money, usually between $1,000 and $3,000, to cover the cost of a basic funeral, but that the rest of the funds must come from elsewhere.
Officers from town and state police and Flanders Northampton Volunteer Ambulance had responded to a report of a possible drowning at the 66-acre freshwater lake at 2:22 p.m. on Sunday and removed a man later identified as Mr. Chamale from the water.
Wildwood Lake, which long-time area residents say was a very popular bathing spot in the 1950s and 1960s, has no lifeguard on duty. The lake's popularity for swimming is said to have declined over the years, but, according to Det. Tully, it now appears to be increasing, and Southampton Town has been planning for several years to make the site a town bathing beach with a lifeguard.
The town's plans also call for building a pavilion over a concrete pad that was once a basketball court and possibly building a foot bridge over a wetland lagoon, although officials have said parts of those plans, which date back to 2000, will require state Department of Environmental Conservation approval.
Police are continuing to investigate Mr. Chamale's death and ask that anyone with information about the case contact the detective division at 728-5000 or the Police Information Hotline at 728-3454.
Sr. Margaret said anyone wishing to make a donation to help with Mr. Chamale's funeral should send it to the North Fork Spanish Apostalate, in care of Sr. Margaret Smyth, 220 Roanoke Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901.
