The DareDevils of Niagara Falls, New York and other Entertainment that you never knew about!!! 

 

Hello my Steemers and Steemettes.  I'm back with another post.  I hope you can forgive my absence but I have been very active on the platform.  Commenting and voting for other people's content that I enjoy.  I must say there are a lot of interesting people on this website. Today I will be telling you a little history of Niagara Falls and all the Daredevils who have risked their lives to entertain or fulfill a life long goal. 

 

Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that hug the international border between Canada and the United states. Specifically, between the province of Ontario and the State of New York. They form the Southern end of the Niagara Gorge. 

  

From the largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are: The Horseshoe Falls, The American Falls and The Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe Falls lies on the border of the United States and Canada with the American Falls entirely on the American side, separated by Goat Island. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also on the American side, separated from the other waterfalls by Luna Island. The international boundary line was originally drawn through Horseshoe Falls in 1819, but the boundary has long been in dispute due to natural erosion and construction.                       

The Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into lake Ontario, The combined water falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world that has a vertical drop of  165 feet or more. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate. The falls are 17 miles north-northwest of Buffalo, New York, and 75 miles south-southeast of Toronto, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York. Niagara Falls is famed both for it's beauty and as a valuable source of Hydroelectric Power. Balancing recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for stewards of the falls since the 19th century.       

Here are a list of DareDevils

October 24, 1829, Sam Patch, who called himself "The Yankee Leapster" jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and survived. This began a long tradition of daredevils trying to go over the falls.

 

October 24, 1901, 63-year-old Michigan school teacher Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to go over the falls in a barrel as a publicity stunt. She survived, bleeding, but otherwise unharmed. Before Taylor's attempt, on October 19th  a cat named Lagara was sent in a barrel over the Horseshoe Falls to test it's strength. Lagara the cat survived unharmed and later  striked a pose with Taylor for photographers. Since 14 people have intentionally gone over the falls in or on a device, Some have survived unharmed, some have drowned or severely injured. Survivor's face charges and fines, as it is illegal, on both sides of the border, to  make any attempt to go over the falls.

            

In 1911 Bobby Leach went over the falls in his Barrel.

 

Englishman Captain Matthew Webb, the first man to attempt to swim the English Channel, drowned in 1883 trying to swim the rapids downriver from the falls. 

 July 9, 1960 the "Miracle at Niagara", Roger Woodward, a 7 yr old boy, was swept over the Horseshoe Falls with only a life vest. Thank God their were two tourists who pulled his 17 year old  sister Deanne from the river only a few feet away from the Horseshoe Falls. Soon after, Roger was rescued from the Horseshoe Falls  grabbing on a life ring that  was thrown to him by the crew members of the Maid of the Mist boat. 

On July 2, 1984, Karel Soucek from Hamiliton, Ontario, plunging over the Horseshoe Falls in a barrel with only minor injuries. Soucek was fined $500 for performing the stunt without a license. In 1985, he was fatally injured while trying to re-create the Horseshoe Falls at the Houston Astrodome. His aim was to climb into a barrel raised to the rafters of the Astrodome and to drop 180 feet into a water tank on the ground. After his barrel released prematurely, it hit the side of the tank and he died from his injuries the following day. 

 

In August 1985, Steve Trotter, a Rhode Island stuntman, the youngest person ever 22yr old and the first american in 25 years to go over the falls in a barrel. Ten years later, Trotter went over the falls again, becoming the second person to go over the falls twice and survive. It was also the second-ever "duo" Lori Martin joined Trotter for the barrel ride. They survived the fall but their barrel became stuck at the bottom of the falls, having to be rescued.

On September 28, 1989, Peter DeBernardi (age 42) and Jeffery James Petkovich (age 25) became the first "team" to make it over the falls in a two person barrel. The stunt  was conceived by DeBenardi, who wanted to discourage youth from following in his path of addictive drug use. The pair emerged shortly after going over with minor injuries and were charged with performing an illegal stunt under the Niagara Parks Act.

On June 5, 1990, Jessie Sharp, a whitewater canoeist paddled over the falls in a closed deck canoe. He refused to wear a helmet to make his face more visible for photographs of the event. He also did not wear a life vest because he believed it would inhibit his escape from the hydraulics of the falls. His boat flushed out of the falls. His body was never found.

On September 27, 1993, John "David" Munday, completed his second journey over the falls. 

                           

October !, 1995, Robert Douglas "firecracker" Overcracker went over the falls in a Jet Ski raising awareness for the homeless. He plunged to his death after his rocket-Propelled parachute failed to open. He was pronounced dead at Niagara General Hospital.

         

October 20, 2003 Kirk Jones of  Michigan, was the first person to survive a fall  into Horseshoe Falls without a flotation  device. Jones attempted to commit suicide, he fell 16 stories he survived with only broken ribs, scrapes, and bruises. Jones died in second attempt in a inflatable ball in 2017.

March 11, 2009, A second person survived an unprotected trip over the Horseshoe Falls March and when rescued, it was reported to be suffering from severe hypothermia and a large wound on his head. Eyewitnesses reported the man intentionally jumped in the water. 

On May 21, 2012, an unidentified man in his early 40's was  the third person to  survive an unprotected trip over the Horseshoe Falls. Eyewitness reports show he "deliberately jumped" into the Niagara River after he climbed over a railing. 

Daredevil's that made it their goal to  cross the gorge, starting with Jean Francois "Blondin' Gravelet, who crossed Niagara Gorge in 1859. Between the years 1859 and 1869  emerged a wire-walking craze. One inexperienced walker slid down his safety rope. Only one man fell to his death, under mysterious circumstances. 

These tightrope daredevils drew massive crowds . Their wires ran across the gorge, next to the Rainbow Bridge. William Hunt, aka 'The Great Farini" competed with Blondin in these outrageous stunts. Three separate occasions Blondin carried his manger, Harry Colcord, on his Back.

 

On June 12, 2012,  Nik Wallenda was the 1st person to walk 1,800 feet across the Falls in 116 years  and the longest tightrope in history. After receiving the ok for both the United States  and Canadian Governments. Fast forward five years later on June 15, 2017, Nik Wallenda's significant other Erendira Wallenda performed an acrobatic routine and hung by her teeth in a hoop like suspended device from a helicopter 300 feet above Niagara Falls. 

Watch Nik Wallenda walk across the falls!!!!!!

Erendira Wallenda

Whatch Erendira Wallenda hang from her mouth over the falls

Other Notable mentions!!

In 1953 Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cotten starred in a movie called "Niagara".  

In 1956 Woody Woodpecker aired an episode Called "Niagara Fools".

Richard Boone and Randy Quaid featured in a movie called "The Great Niagara".

Also in 1980 Niagara Falls featured in the classic movie "Superman 2"

Finally in the 1987 cartoon series "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Niagara Falls was featured in the episode "Return of the Technodrome".   

My parents moved to Buffalo NY when I was a little girl. They would bring us to Niagara Falls State Park for a day of fun. As a little girl I fell in love with the view and the of all the different cultures I was exposed to in the park.

What an Amazing time we had. Needless to say this trip brings back childhood memories. First and foremost I would like to Thank @youngogmarqs and @yourfavoritepapi for driving 6 hours from New Jersey all the way to Buffalo to visit us we love you and thank you for spending time with our family.  

In conclusion Niagara Falls continues to draw people from all over the world for many different reasons.  Some to accomplish a lifelong dream and others just to stare in awe and the powerful and mighty sight that is Niagara Falls.  Even though I have been to see the falls more times than I can even remember.  I still get amazed every time I see her majestic beauty.  Thank you for taking the time to read about this historical water fall that is in my backyard.

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All Photos Courtesy of Google images