Can you imagine plummeting from these
50-meter-high (164 ft) waterfalls
at speeds reaching 109 km/h (68 mph),
all while being crushed
by three tons of water
every second?
In 1960,
a young child was swept over the Falls
with an older family friend
following a boating accident
on the Niagara River.
Only one of them survived the ordeal,
but how?
And who was it?
The answer might surprise you.
Today we will explore
the three most exciting
and harrowing tales
of people who survived going over
this magnificent
but deadly natural wonder.
Located on the border of Ontario, Canada,
and New York State,
this amazing waterfall system
is comprised of three different waterfalls
with a combined width
of 1,204 m (3,950 ft).
Below the Canadian Horseshoe Falls,
the American Falls
and the Bridal Veil Falls
are churning rapids
that can drag you along
at 48 km/h (30 mph).
If the fall doesn't kill you,
these rapids below could.
So, we should warn you,
never try to imitate
the historic feats
in this video.
But before going over the falls,
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Okay.
Now that the steaks are on the grill,
it's time to figure out how to survive these wonderful
but deadly falls.
On October 24, 1901,
schoolteacher Annie Edson Taylor
performed one of the most
amazing stunts
in the history of Niagara Falls.
Not only because she was the first person
to survive going over the Falls,
but also because she was 63 years old.
She used a modified barrel
filled with compressed air,
equipped with an anvil
to ensure she hit the water below
feet-first
rather than upside down.
She was certain it would work
after sending her cat
over on a successful test run
a few days earlier.
After 17 minutes,
she reached the shore,
a little battered but alive.
Her barrel invention was so successful
that other Falls daredevils
imitated her technique and design
over the next several decades.
Unfortunately,
not all of them
were as successful as Taylor.
In 1961,
Nathan Boya designed
a ball-shaped steel structure
he named the Plunge-O-Sphere,
which was covered in multiple layers
of rubber and metal.
It also included an air tank
that would provide oxygen
for up to 30 hours.
Despite hitting some rocks on his landing
that put a good dent
in the Plunge-O-Sphere,
Boya surfaced without a scratch.
His wallet didn't fare so well.
He was fined $100 for the stunt,
more than $950 today.
Remember the two people
we began our story with?
Seven-year-old Roger Woodward
and his 17-year-old sister Deanne
were enjoying a leisurely boat ride
on the Niagara River
with family friend James Honeycutt
when disaster struck.
After hitting an unidentified object,
the boat's motor failed.
As the three began to be pulled
into churning waters
and closer to the edge
of the Horseshoe Falls.
The boat capsized,
and all three were thrown into the rapids.
Roger and Deanne had time
to put on life jackets.
Honeycutt didn't.
Fortunately for Deanne,
two passersby were able
to pull her to shore.
Roger and James
went over the falls together.
Roger survived.
James, in his efforts to shield
Roger from the rapids,
drowned.
Roger has described going over the edge
as a peaceful moment,
like floating in the clouds.
Niagara Falls historian Paul Gromosiak
says that Roger was probably saved
in part by a strange phenomenon
known as a water cone.
These can form when air trapped
at the bottom of the falls
is pushed upward.
In Gromosiak's words,
“it's like a hand reaching out,”
and it may have been the reason
Woodward was able to be rescued
by the crew of the famous
Maid of the Mist boat
with only some cuts and bruises.
Besides being dangerous,
going over Niagara Falls is illegal.
So don't think about
doing anything extreme,
and stick to watching the spectacle
from a safe distance.
If you're looking for a waterfall adventure,
how about taking a dive
into the Devil's Pool
found at the top of Victoria Falls?
Keep watching to see how it's done.