Amazing Niagara Falls Daredevil Feats or Just Plain Ludicrous?

On October 22nd, 2003, Kirk Raymond Jones entered the waters 100 yards upstream of the Niagara Horseshoe Falls. Eight seconds later he was plunged by the swift current over the falls into the churning cauldron below. This ludicrous swimmer actually survived with minor bumps and bruises. Miraculously he survived the fall without any devises and in October the water temperature must have been cold. He was lucky. His stunt earned him a spot in the history of The Niagara Falls Daredevils. It also cost Mr. Jones a fine of $2300 and a lifetime ban of entering Canada.

The only other survivor of a tumble over the Horseshoe Falls was a 7 year old boy wearing a life jacket. He was thrown into the water as a result of a boating accident in 1960.

The history of Niagara Falls daredevil feats began with a stunt to gain recognition and promote tourism to the area. On September 8, 1827 hotel owners William Forsyth, John Brown, and General Parkhurst Whitney bought a schooner, decorated it as a pirate ship, and loaded it with a buffalo, 2 small bears, 2 raccoons, a dog and a goose. The loose bears jumped off and swam the rapids to safety on Goat’s Island. The only survivor over the falls was the goose. The event drew a crowd of 10,000 spectators.

Over the years many daredevils have performed their version of historic Niagara Falls stunts ranging from Barrel Riders to Tightrope Walkers. On June 28th 1911 pilot Lincoln J. Beachey made history by flying his employer’s (Curtiss Aircraft Company of Nebraska) two-winged Curtiss biplane with an open cockpit under the arch of the Falls View Honeymoon Bridge and continuing along the surface of the water along the gorge before flying back up into the air.

The history of The Niagara Falls Daredevils is documented and preserved by the Imax Theatre and The Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum at Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada U.S. border.