Strange

Who has survived going over Niagara Falls?

by Amy Judd | March 11, 2009 at 01:05 pm

1652 views | 25 Recommendations | 7 comments

A man went over Niagara Falls today on the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side, but he survived the plunge in to the icy water below.

The man is currently in hospital with hypothermia and a head injury. As it is a criminal act to go over the falls he may face severe penalties or jail time.

Here is some more information about what happened:

Police Chief Douglas Kane said they received a 911 call at 2.11 p.m. local time after a visitor observed a male climb over the retaining wall south of the Horseshoe Falls and entered the rapids above the brink.

According to Kane, the male is believed to be in his late thirties and visitors observed the male fall down the waterfall and then travel down the river below in the area of the Ontario Power Generating building (OPG).

Members of the Niagara Parks Police and their High Angle River Team, and the Niagara Falls Fire Department were immediately dispatched in an attempt to rescue the male. When rescue workers arrived at the scene, the male refused any assistance and continued to swim further into the center of the Niagara River.

Rescue workers were later able to push the male back near the shore with the assistance of Niagara helicopters. After he was closer to the shore, Kane says, a Niagara Falls firefighter who was on a tether and wearing an ice commander dry suit, entered the water and took control of the male.

He follows in the footsteps of many who have done over the years.

At least 17 people -- not including suicide attempts -- are known to have gone over the falls.

Some people survived and some didn't.

14 people, some of them teams, have survived the fall, and only a few of them have died.

The first person to die was on July 11, 1920, when George Stevens (The English Daredevil) died as he went over the falls in an oak barrel.

In 1960, Roger Woodward was accidentially swept over the falls wearing only a life jacket and survived. He is known as the 'Miracle of Niagara'.

For a full list of who survived and who didn't see this link.

1 See all footage | View Slideshow

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jazzyzazzy

at 15:17 on March 11th, 2009

Whow, some pics. Lets hope he did this brave crazy deed on behalf of a good cause.I would love to visit the falls,who knows maybe one day I will. I was on a flight today,and seated next to a Canadian woman, strange! she spoke about how bad the weather was and how beautiful the falls are.So I got to thinking maybe someday I will visit, I said, she then replied, oh no dont go there, there are big drug wars going on and lots of violence. Tell me if i am wrong here, is that not the case all over our world drugs and violence.

Amy Judd

at 15:55 on March 11th, 2009

Yeah I think so - I haven't heard of Niagara being that bad at all.

Blue Crush

at 16:00 on March 11th, 2009

Drug wars in Niagara Falls? I DON'T THINK SO! The weather can be pretty brutal in the wintertime though, especially around the Falls, with all the mist. Beautiful, though.

Blue Crush

at 15:58 on March 11th, 2009

Here's the CTV story and video link. He's been transferred to a Hamilton hospital and being treated for hypothermia. News on TV said he was unconscious now.