Chappaqua Scientist Killed In Bear Mountain Bridge Jump

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story had the victim's first and last names switched due to an error made by New York State Police.

CORTLANDT, N.Y. – A Chappaqua man jumped to his death from the Bear Mountain Bridge Wednesday morning, New York State Police said.

Chatschik Bisdikian, 53, of Chappaqua jumped from the bridge at 9:23 a.m., according to state police Investigator Brian Hoff, who said the jump was caught on a security camera but not discovered until a person walking a dog discovered the body.

“He did not land in the water,” Hoff said. “He probably fell a couple of hundred feet down an embankment, not even close to the water. He jumped from a very weird place, not from the bridge – almost from the roadway.”

Bisdikian was a scientist who had worked for IBM, Hoff said. He was identified by an ID that was found still on his body.

“He’s an IBM employee and he had something to do with the invention of Bluetooth,” Hoff said. “He’s Ph.D., employed in their think tank.”

Roads were not closed during the investigation, he said.

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