Garrison Man Who Drowned Saving Niece Hailed as a Hero
A Garrison man who drowned in the Hudson River in Peekskill on Friday after jumping in to help his struggling niece is being remembered as a hero by family and friends.
Christopher Baisley, 52, had taken two nieces, ages 7 and 11, and a nephew, 7, out for a boating trip near the Riverfront Green in Peekskill Friday afternoon. Baisley was operating a 26-foot cabin cruiser while the children, who were all wearing life preservers, were in an inflatable tube attached to the boat. When his younger niece fell off the tube and was reportedly struggling in the water, Baisley leaped in to bring her to safety.
However, Baisley, who reportedly was a strong swimmer, suffered some kind of distress and went under. His body was recovered about 500 feet off of Charles Point at about 5:39 p.m. An autopsy performed Saturday determined the cause of death to be drowning.
Kieran O’Leary, a spokesman for the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, said that based on interviews with the children, it appears Baisley was in the water for about an hour before his body was observed by a crew of the Evening Star tour boat.
“It is still uncertain what caused him to be in distress while he was in the water,” O’Leary said. “Mr. Baisley did have asthma, but it is uncertain if that contributed to him having difficulties in the water.”
Friends and family of Baisley said his heroic actions were typical of his nature.
“It came as no surprise that this soft-spoken, kind soul would perish saving another life,” said Ray Gallagher, a friend of Baisley who is the sports editor for The Northern Westchester Examiner. “He was a great guy, a good listener and always had good advice for people. A very level-headed guy.”
In a published tribute, another person wrote, “Heroes are made by God. They are a rare breed and come in many forms. Christopher joined the ranks of those heroes by his choice on Friday. He knew what he had to do!”
Baisley was born in Cold Spring on July 20, 1960. He graduated from Walter Panas High School and was employed by United Rentals in Queens as an operating engineer. He also served as a counselor to many people for Alcoholics Anonymous throughout the region for the last 10 years. Besides boating, he enjoyed skiing and motorcycling.
He is survived by his parents, Albert and Christina Baisley of Cortlandt; one brother, Craig (Kathy) Baisley of Charlotte, N.C.; nieces and nephews, Kayci, Kylee, Joseph and Averi; his longtime companion, Kathy Cancerelli; and several cousins.
Services were held at Joseph F. Nardone Funeral Home in Peekskill, followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Columbanus Church in Cortlandt. Burial followed at Assumption Cemetery.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
