Eric Soloff, of Nissequogue, dies in apparent drowning in Smithtown Bay, police say

A swimmer in distress apparently drowned Sunday evening in Smithtown Bay off Nissequogue, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.

The man was identified as 63-year-old Eric Soloff, of Nissequogue, the department wrote in a news release.

Soloff was pulled out of the water shortly after 6:41 p.m. by a team of officers from the department's Fourth Precinct and Marine Bureau who responded to a 911 call from a person who saw him in the waters off Long Beach Road, the police press office said.

Soloff was brought to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The police press office declined to say how long he'd been in the water.

More than 4,500 people drown every year in the United States, according to the most recently available statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and drowning is on the rise, the CDC says.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.