Number 10 Shiloh Shahan
In September of 2016, Shiloh Shahan narrowly avoided death after jumping off one of the
tallest waterfalls in Hawaii. The 21-year-old California native was visiting Wailua Falls
with his friends when he spontaneously decided to leap from the top. The waterfall stands at
173 feet, according to some sources, and diving off it has been deemed illegal due to several
deaths that have occurred. After a short run-off, Shahan launched himself over the brink. A loud
thud was heard as the young man impacted the water. As he made contact with the pool below,
Shahan lost consciousness and then started floating face-down. He would’ve most likely
drowned if not for the quick intervention of two tourists who pulled him out of the water. Aside
from tears in the muscles on his chest and back, the man also suffered a concussion. After taking
some time to recover, he walked away from the jump on his own. He would later claim, in an interview,
that he took the risky leap because he was at a pivotal point in his life and it had “felt
like the right thing to do”. Number 9 Emily Hutchinson
In early 2021, the emergency services were called to Barron Gorge National Park, in Queensland,
following reports that a woman had fallen down a waterfall,
during a hike. A helicopter made several sweeps of the area while the police hiked for over an hour
to reach the victim, 31-year-old Emily Hutchinson. Officers performed CPR at the scene and Hutchinson
was airlifted to Cairns Base Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Initial descriptions
of the incident were proven false after the authorities talked with the woman’s partner.
She hadn’t slipped and fallen but, instead, was knocked unconscious at the bottom of the
waterfall. Several boulders had become dislodged from the top and rolled down, striking the woman
in the head and inflicting devastating injuries. Today's topic was requested by Robert Taylor.
If you have any other topics you'd like to learn about, subscribe & let us know in the
comments section below Number 8 Shane Brown
In December of 2015, daredevil Shane Brown suffered horrific injuries after jumping off
Kapena Falls, in Hawaii. The 24-year-old attempted a triple gainer, which involves jumping forward
and then transitioning to back somersaults. While rotating in the air, the Honolulu native
clipped his head on the edge of the cliff, which caused him to release his tucked position
as he landed in the water. In doing so, he struck a submerged tree trunk with his back.
A friend pulled Brown out of the water and he was rushed to Queens Hospital. The doctors told
the daredevil that he was extremely fortunate the stunt hadn’t left him paralyzed. Brown had
shattered both shoulder blades as well as his right shoulder socket. He also broke 14 ribs
and his L1 vertebrae. Over a dozen stitches were clipped into his skull to mend a gash
on his head. Eventually, after a recovery period of several months,
he was able to swim again. Number 7 Soipov Abdullokh
In September of 2020, an Uzbekistan tourist trying to take a selfie atop a waterfall, in Thailand,
fell 50 feet to his death. 22-year-old Soipov Abdullokh, along with other backpackers,
rented motorbikes in Phuket and travelled 230 miles to a park, to view the scenery.
Abdullokh ignored signs that warned against climbing the waterfall, as he reportedly wanted
a selfie with it in the background. Yet, as he strayed from the marked trail, the young
man slipped on a rock and fell. His companions found him on the jagged rocks below, with blood
pouring from his mouth and nose. According to Thai authorities, his death had been “very quick”.
Number 6 Sydney Kayaker In the summer of 2018, a Sydney kayaker died
while trying to paddle over a waterfall, in Far North Queensland. The unnamed, 37-year-old man
and several of his friends were kayaking at the Wooroonooran National Park. He’d gone over the
brink but got pinned to some rocks, in an air pocket, as water rushed over him. The isolated
section of the rapids that he was on could only be accessed by river or air. His friends couldn’t
reach him and spent the night with emergency services on the river bank. Rescuers believed that
he was still alive as of 6 pm. The authorities knew the kayaker was trapped in an air pocket
but had no means of communicating with him. Daylight was fading and navigating the river
in the dark was deemed too treacherous. Rescuers returned the following morning but it wasn’t until
the afternoon that they were able to reach the kayaker. Unfortunately, by then, it was too late.
Number 5 Robert Overacker On October the 2nd of 1995,
39-year-old Robert Overacker died after riding a jet ski off the brink of Horseshoe Falls,
on the Niagara River. The man, from Camarillo, California, performed the stunt to raise
awareness for the homeless. Upon reaching the edge of the waterfall, Overacker let go of his
watercraft with the intention of deploying a rocket-propelled parachute on his back.
Something, however, had gone horribly wrong. It’s unclear if the thrusters had gotten wet
or if the parachute had somehow become detached from his body. Overacker plummeted nearly 170 feet
into the waterfall’s turbulent waters. At first, it was believed that he’d survived the drop but
it later emerged that his flailing limbs were being moved by the rapids. Overacker’s body
was recovered from the river by staff from the Maid of the Mist sightseeing boat tour.
Number 4 Roy George Tinashe Dikinya In January of 2021, Roy George Tinashe Dikinya
plummeted to his death from one of the tallest points on Victoria Falls, on the border between
Zambia and Zimbabwe. The cataract waterfall is believed to be among the largest in the world
due to its width of over 5,600 feet. Originally from the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, 40-year-old
Dikinya had lived in Victoria Falls for a year and was familiar with the surroundings. On New Year’s
Day, he was visiting the site with his girlfriend and several other companions. Dikinya was walking
parallel to the edge of the gorge but recent rains had contributed to the surfaces being slippery.
Dikinya took a misstep and then slid on the rocks, unable to catch his grip,
fatally dropping an estimated 350 feet. While others had died at Victoria Falls before,
according to a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, the
incident marked the first time that someone had fallen into the gorge. The swollen Zambezi River
hindered attempts to recover Dikinya’s body. His remains were lifted back over the cliff edge
with a zipline and pulley system in a complex operation involving miners,
the military and other volunteers. Number 3 William Hill Jr
Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in 1888, William “Red” Hill would come to be known as a local hero.
He received his first bravery medal at the age of 8, when he rescued his sister from their
burning house. Hill worked as a rescuer on the Niagara River, ultimately credited for saving
28 lives while recovering numerous accident and suicide victims. The man was obsessed with the
power of the raging river and its unforgiving waterfalls. He first braved its lower rapids
in 1930, in a 600-pound, 6-foot-long steel barrel. Hill would journey down the rapids
three more times before his death, in 1942, solidifying his reputation as a daredevil.
William Hill Jr inherited his father’s fascination with the Niagara River
and repeated his death-defying acts. His aim was to raise funds in a memorial fund,
to honor his father. He eventually attempted a stunt that even William Sr had avoided, by
taking a barrel over Horseshoe Falls, the largest waterfall on the river. His unique contraption,
which he’d named “The Thing”, consisted of large inflated tubes encased by fish netting and held
together by canvas webbing. On August the 5th of 1951, before a crowd of thousands, Hill Jr set off
on the river. The trip initially went according to plan, as The Thing rode the upper rapids and then
went over the brink of the waterfall. Moments later, the stunt abruptly ended in tragedy.
The barrel dropped 167 feet and shattered upon impact. Hill Jr. suffered fatal injuries and his
battered body was recovered the following day. Number 2 YouTube Stars Take Fatal Fall
In July of 2018, three Canadian YouTube vloggers died at a waterfall in British Columbia. Ryker
Gamble Alexey Lyakh and Megan Scraper were part of High on Life, an adventure travelling channel that
would often feature its members performing daring stunts in exotic locations. In the past, Gamble,
Lyakh and other members of their collective were banned from US federal land for 5 years
after they pled guilty to walking on a sensitive hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. In early
July, they were swimming atop Canada’s Shannon waterfall, where rescue crews claimed the danger
level was very high. It’s unclear whether or not they were filming at the site. At some point,
Scraper, Lyakh’s longtime partner, slipped over the edge, and fell nearly 100 feet into
one of the lower pools. While trying to help her, Gamble and Lyakh were also swept over the brink.
All three were fatally wounded in the drop. Number 1 Charles Stephens
On July the 11th of 1920, Charles Stephens became the first person to die going over
Horseshoe Falls, at Niagara, in a barrel. Stephens worked as a barber and had started doing stunts to
support his wife and 11 children. The man, who was known as the Demon Barber of Bedminster,
believed that going over Horseshoe was a “cool commercial proposition”. Stephens’ contraption
consisted of an oak barrel, with an anvil inside it being used for ballast. The 58-year-old had
been advised by fellow Niagara daredevil William Hill Sr. to test the barrel prior to the stunt but
decided to ignore his council. Stephens strapped himself to the barrel and his feet to the anchor,
which would ultimately prove to be a fatal decision. His contraption was carried by the
rapids over the brink and plunged towards the raging waters below. As it impacted the surface,
the anvil broke through the bottom of the barrel. Because he was connected to the weight, Stephens
was dragged into deep water. The only part of his body to be recovered was his severed right arm,
which was buried at a cemetery in Niagara Falls. Thanks for watching! Would you go down Niagara’s
Horseshoe Falls, in a barrel, for $1,000,000? Let us know in the comments section below!