Shinnecock Bay. Inset: Shane Garcia (left) and Aaron Montemarano. 

By Michael Mashburn From Daily Voice

A multi-agency search for two missing kayakers off Long Island has ended in tragedy.

Divers recovered the bodies of 27-year-old Shane Garcia and 25-year-old Aaron Montemarano in Shinnecock Bay between Sunday, Nov. 2, and Monday, Nov. 3, according to New York State Police.

Garcia’s girlfriend reported him missing around 8:45 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, after he failed to return home from kayaking earlier in the day. Patrol units later found his work van parked at the end of Shinnecock Avenue in Hampton Bays.

Garcia had sent his girlfriend a photo earlier that day showing himself and Montemarano kayaking near the Ponquogue Bridge, according to Southampton Town Police.

New York State Police said their Underwater Recovery Team assisted the Southampton Town Police Department, using SONAR and dive operations to locate the men.

Garcia’s girlfriend, Jessica Sarah, shared an emotional Facebook tribute honoring the man she called her best friend and “person.”

“Five years doesn’t feel long enough, but I’m so beyond grateful for the time that we shared,” she wrote. “You weren’t just my partner — you were my best friend. Thank you for all the laughter and the tears. Thank you for loving me even at my lowest. I love you endlessly, my baby boy… until we meet again.”

In an earlier post, Sarah urged others to help search for Garcia, writing, “Those of you who know Shane personally know that he is the kind of person to show up for anyone and everyone — let’s do the same for him.”

The Southampton Town Police Department is continuing the investigation into the incident.