Over the Falls

It happened again on March 11th. A man went over Niagara Falls unprotected and survived. He went over the Canadian side and survived after being fished out of the swirling waters of the lower Niagara River.

He’s the third to take the plunge unprotected and live and the second suicide attempt to do so. Some who plummet down the 176-foot cascade are accident victims, and a significant number go over as exhibitionists seeking fame and fortune, but many are bent on self-destruction. According to Mike Hudson of the Niagara Falls Reporter, over 20 people attempt their suicidal demise annually, with a total of 2,780 between 1856 and 1995. The most prevalent day is Monday at 4:00 PM with an alarming increase in September.

Motives include fear of reaching 40 since most men do it at age 39 and women at age 38. There is some thought of causation assigned to nearby casinos that leave gamblers in hopeless debt. Back in 2004, Kirk Jones, as one account has it, "was rapidly approaching middle age, without a job, a wife, or a home to call his own." He said, "I was a 40-year old man with no purpose." Kirk somehow plunged downward and got to shore below with only minor injuries.

The first person ever to go over and live was seven-year old Roger Woodward, whose boat ride on the Niagara River turned into grim history. Roger and his 17-year old sister, Deanne, were taken out into the upper reaches of the swirling Niagara River in a small outboard motorboat by family friend Jim Honeycut. He said he’d show them a thrilling view of the falls from closer than most ever see it.

Passing a point of no return, the small boat could no longer pull against the current, and Honeycut made sure the kids donned their life jackets. Caught in Niagara’s wash, the motor hit rocks, shearing the pin and overturned, flipping all three into the water. Deanne was swept close to shore. Twenty feet from the brink, she was caught by a brave man who leaned far out over the water. She screamed, "Pray for my brother. He’s going over the falls!" A man who was there told me how women screamed and some fainted and others prayed.

Somehow, Roger miraculously survived the plunge over the falls to struggle in the waters below. Maid of the Mist boat captain Clifford Keech saw the boy, and, on the third try, maneuvered close and drew him aboard. Roger was released from the hospital 48 hours later with only minor injuries. Honeycut’s mangled body was retrieved four days later at the Maid of the Mist boat dock.

Later, Roger went to Bible camp and made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He said, "I guess the Lord saved me the first time so He could save me the second time." Summarizing his story years later, Roger said, "It wasn’t the hand of fate, it wasn’t the hand of luck, it wasn’t the spirit of [Indian princess] Lelawala, it was the spirit of the living God that saved my life that day and saved my sister and gave us hope that one day we would come to know Him."

Roger had it right. The reason we are kept physically alive is to grant us time to hear the Gospel story of God’s love in Christ, who died on the Cross to pay for our sins and rose the third day to give us eternal life. If you are reading this and have never trusted Christ, God has given you this additional time to ask Christ into your life as John 1:12-13 says: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

Acts 4:12 declares, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved," and 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Dave Virkler