Updated: Aug. 4, 2012, 1:40 p.m.
Westchester County Police identified the Putnam man who drowned in the Hudson River after saving his niece Friday evening as Christopher Baisley, 52, of Upland Drive in Garrison.
The boat Baisley had been driving was a 26-foot cabin cruiser and it appears the kids were "tubing," or floating on a raft attached to a moving boat, said WCP Information Officer Kieran O'Leary. All three children had personal flotation devices, as is legally required.
Baisley's 7-year-old niece apparently became separated from the raft and the uncle jumped in the water to retreive her. The girl's twin brother and 11-year-old sister pulled her back onto the boat, but Baisley and the boat appear to have drifted apart.
Captain Mary Pat Driscoll of the Evening Star came across Baisley's body at approximately 5:40 p.m. near Charles Point, said O'Leary.
"We are not sure what caused him to have the distress he had," said O'Leary. "There was nothing on the boat that would indicate alcohol was a factor. This seems like an uncle who took the neices and nephews out for a day of fun."
Baisley's friends described him as a good swimmer to detectives.
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A 52-year-old Putnam County man reportedly drowned after helping his niece in the Hudson River near Charles Point in Peekskill, according to the Journal News' _Will David._
The man, still unidentified by police, helped his niece who was struggling on a raft attached to their boat when he became distressed himself, according to TJN.
The 7-year-old niece’s twin brother and sister, 11, pulled her back to the boat while the vessel drifted away from their uncle in the water. The children put out a distress call, which the Coast Guard picked up and sent to local police, David reports.
Around 5:40 p.m. Captain Mary Pat Driscoll of the Evening Star came across the deceased body of the man, as Westchester County police arrived on the scene by boat, she said.
By about 7:40 p.m. two men, whom David reports were the children’s father and grandfather, arrived and left with the three, who were visibly upset.
The distressing incident occurred just as Peekskill Celebration began Friday night. The Celebration will continued as planned Saturday.
Here is a statement from Bill Powers, Peekskill Celebration spokesman:
While we have limited details tonight, we are deeply saddened by the news surrounding the apparent drowning of an individual in the Hudson River who heroically tried to save the life of a child. Plans for our Cancer Awareness dragon boat races, designed to honor the memories of those who have passed, those who are fighting the disease now, and those who have overcome cancer, will go on as scheduled. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family impacted by this tragedy.
Read the full Journal news report here.
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Original posting, 8 p.m. Aug. 3:
While leading a tour of about 20 people on the Evening Star Friday, Captain Mary Pat Driscoll spotted a body in the water. As she got closer, she realized it was the dead body of an unidentified male floating in the Hudson River not far from the coastline, she said. Driscoll made the discovery around 6 p.m. while Peekskill Celebration was just getting started.
While Driscoll pulled up to bring in the body a Westchester County police boat arrived and took over, she said.
Westchester County police, Peekskill Office of Emergency Management and the Putnam County Sheriff’s office were on the scene, but no law official would comment on the incident. They did not identify the victim or reveal details on how this happened.
Around 7 p.m. two men arrived at the riverfront to retrieve three children, visibly upset, from a private boat that was at the scene at Peekskill’s boat launch. Police then searched the boat.
Police set up a perimeter at the scene and are continuing their investigation.
“It’s strange. This is not really the place where something like that happens,” said Arianna Memoli, a 17-year-old Peekskill resident who was at the Riverfront when Peekskill EMS and county police initially arrived.
Check back for updates as they become available.
