Has anyone gone down Niagara Falls and lived?

The first recorded person to survive going over the falls was school teacher Annie Edson Taylor, who in 1901 successfully completed the stunt inside an oak barrel. In the following 122 years, thousands of people have been swept over the falls but only sixteen people have reportedly survived the feat.



Yes, several people have survived the 160-foot plunge over Niagara Falls, starting with Annie Edson Taylor in 1901, who went over in a padded wooden barrel at age 63. Since then, roughly a dozen "daredevils" have survived using steel barrels, rubber balls, or pressurized capsules. A supportive peer "safety" warning: while many survived, many others died in the attempt due to drowning or trauma. Interestingly, the first person to survive the fall without any safety device was Roger Woodward, a 7-year-old boy who accidentally went over in 1960 wearing only a life jacket after a boating mishap. In 2026, performing such stunts is highly illegal and carries massive fines or jail time, as the base of the falls is a chaotic "washing machine" of water that can trap even the sturdiest vessels.

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A 5-year-old was rescued Monday after he and his mother jumped into the Niagara Gorge in Niagara Falls State Park. Authorities have recovered the mother's body, according to Angela P. Berti, a Niagara Region parks spokeswoman.

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Jessie W. Sharp, a 28 year old bachelor from Ocoee, Tennessee attempted to ride over the brink of the Horseshoe Falls in a 3.6m long kayak on June 5,1990. Sharp, unemployed at the time, was an experienced white water kayaker.

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Back on July 9, 1960, a seven-year-old boy named Roger Woodward was swept over Horseshoe Falls, wearing only a lifejacket and somehow survived.

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His body has never been recovered.

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There are actually three falls; the American and Bridal Veil Falls and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The U.S. owns the first two and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls is owned by Canada. Ten percent of the Niagara River flows over the American and Bridal Veil Falls and the remaining 90% over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

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The deepest section in the Niagara River is just below the falls. It is so deep that it equals the height of the falls above: 52 metres (170 ft.) The Upper Niagara River extends 35 kilometres (22 mi.) from Lake Erie to the Cascade Rapids, which begin 1 kilometre (0.6 mi.)

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People do not recommend swimming in the Niagara River, nor is it allowed in most areas. The river has strong currents, turbulent rapids, and unpredictable undertows, especially in the Lower Niagara River below Niagara Falls.

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The infamous Bobby Leach plunged over the Falls in a steel barrel. Bobby broke both kneecaps and his jaw during his daring event. Years later while touring in New Zealand, Bobby slipped on an orange peel and died from complications due to gangrene !

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The first recorded person to survive going over the falls was school teacher Annie Edson Taylor, who in 1901 successfully completed the stunt inside an oak barrel. In the following 122 years, thousands of people have been swept over the falls but only sixteen people have reportedly survived the feat.

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Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Anna Annie Edson Taylor (October 24, 1838 – April 29, 1921) was an American schoolteacher who, on her 63rd birthday, October 24, 1901, became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

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Roger Woodward looks up as he's being rescued by The Maid of the Mist. It's enough to make anyone believe in miracles. Back on July 9, 1960, a seven-year-old boy named Roger Woodward was swept over Horseshoe Falls, wearing only a lifejacket and somehow survived.

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The Formation of Niagara Falls Geologically speaking, Niagara Falls is quite young. Some 12,000 years ago, the water plunged over the edge of the Niagara Escarpment--a steep slope that runs east/west from New York through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.

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Victoria Falls, the world's largest waterfall, is very tall. At 350 feet, it's as high as a 35-story building, 45 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty from pedestal to torch, and more than twice as high as Niagara Falls. More than 50 blue whales could fit between one end of the Falls and the other.

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