HOW ABOUT GOING OVER NIAGARA FALLS JUMPING IN NIAGARA FALLS

It is said that Niagara Falls has a hypnotic allure that gives some people the uncontrollable urge to jump in and join the powerful, swirling waters. Officials say that they recover an average of 20 people per year who chose Niagara Falls as the place to end their lives. But there are those who choose to go over the Falls in the name of adventure, not suicide

.

What does it take to go over Niagara Falls and live to tell about it? A thorough knowledge of physics? Luck? Total lack of fear? Since 1901 (and probably even earlier), 16 people have gone over the Falls in the name of adventure -- the most recent in October of 2003. Their desire to experience the thrill has sent them to the edge of the Falls and down the 170-foot (52-meter) drop into the swirling, icy waters below. Of those 16, 11 have survived, and two men actually went over the falls and survived twice. Some of these daredevils spent thousands of dollars -- their life savings, in most cases -- building barrels and other craft to protect themselves during the horrific plunge into rocks and rapids. Others went over with no protection at all.

In this article, we'll look at these daredevils and see how they devised a protective shell to face the falls. We'll also examine what the lucky ones did that may have helped them to survive.

About the Falls

Niagara Falls lies on the Niagara River between Canada and New York. Water from four of the Great Lakes runs into the Niagara River and drains into the lowest Great Lake, Lake Ontario. While the original location of Niagara Falls was in present-day Lewiston, New York, it has since crept southward to its current location due to erosion. The falls recede about 4 to 5 feet (122-152 cm) each year.

Photo courtesy NARA Overview of Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is actually not one waterfall, but three. The Niagara River flows down from Lake Erie and is divided by Goat Island. There, part of it flows to the horseshoe-shaped Canadian Falls (aptly named Horseshoe Falls), and the rest flows to the American Falls. At the American falls, the river is also split by a second small island, Luna Island, creating the third, small waterfall known as Bridal Veil Falls.

Photo courtesy NARA Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls

Photo courtesy NARA American Falls

The vertical drop to the water at the bottom, in the Maid of the Mist pool, varies depending upon how much water is being diverted to the hydroelectric facility upstream of the Falls. The American Falls is slightly higher than the Horseshoe Falls but has much less water going over it. It is estimated that 10 percent of the Niagara River's water goes over the American Falls, while 90 percent goes over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

American Falls is about 830 feet (253 meters) wide with a vertical drop of 180 feet (55 meters). Bridal Veil Falls, which is just to the right of the American Falls, is the smallest of the three water falls -- about 56 feet (17 meters) wide, with a vertical drop that averages 78 feet (24 meters) and continues cascading down the boulders into the Maid of the Mist Pool, which is another 103 feet (31 meters) below. Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side, has the largest volume of water and a vertical drop of 170 feet (52 meters) to the water level, plus another 180 feet to the base of the Falls.

Going Over

Imagine the speed you would reach after going through the upper rapids of the Niagara River and then plunging over the edge of the Falls. Then imagine the force of 600,000 gallons of water per second (2,271,247 liters per second) crashing on top of you, not to mention the rocks you're bouncing around on under all of that water. The description that the surviving daredevils gave of what it was like when they went over the edge varied from "like a skydiver's free fall" to sheer terror. But of course, it's not the fall that'll get you; it's the landing.

The Dangers
First off, there is the danger you face inside the barrel itself (if you ride in one, that is). When you go over the 170-foot Horseshoe Falls, there is still another 180 feet to the Maid of the Mist pool. The forces that can knock you around inside the barrel are massively strong, so the chance of concussion-type injuries from rapid deceleration and acceleration is extremely high.

There is also the danger from hitting the rocks and having the barrel break apart. If that happens, you have no protection and will likely either drown or be battered to death in the currents and on the rocks. Then there is the danger of getting caught behind the curtain of water and running out of air before you can be rescued.

Of course, there is room for many other potential dangers, and many depend on the type of craft in which you go over.

Theories for Survival

All daredevils have gone over the Horseshoe Falls rather than the rockier American Falls. You can see why when you compare the photos below -- note the rocks at the base of the American Falls.

Photo courtesy NARA Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls

Photo courtesy NARA American Falls

Still, the force of the water and the rocks at the base of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls is no cake-walk. One recent theory of why some Niagara daredevils survive and some don't is offered by Paul Gromosiak, a Niagara Falls historian. He has a theory about "water cones" -- water pressure that builds up into a sort of "bubble" that then cushions the fall. Another theory is suggested by Joseph Atkinson, a professor in the Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Buffalo. Atkinson thinks it's more likely, at least in the case of the most recent Falls survivor, Kirk Jones (we discuss Jones in a later section), that survivors simply rode the water like a body surfer. He compares it to falling down a slope rather than splattering on a flat surface.

Others have theorized that getting into the water at the right spot upstream (usually close to the shore) and going over the brink at the right spot are also key, along with having good cushioning to absorb shock in the craft you ride in.

The Daredevils

As of 2004, 16 daredevils have made documented trips over Niagara Falls. Eleven have survived. Psychologists who have studied male daredevils say that they have higher levels of testosterone, but lower levels of a chemical that regulates pleasure and arousal. So, basically, they have a slightly different biochemistry that makes them need a higher level of excitement than those of us less inclined to seek out dangerous situations. Many of the daredevils who have gone over the Falls have been described by their friends as "having no fear" of doing anything.

As the allure of the Falls grew, law enforcement began trying to prevent people from attempting the stunt. There is now a law against going over the Falls, referred to as "stunting without a license." The current fine is $10,000. That law didn't stop many of these daredevils, though.