Roger Woodward as an adult. Recalling his thoughts from the rapids he said, "For me there was initially pure panic, I was scared to death. I can remember going through the rapids and being thrown against the rocks and being bounced around like a toy in the water and being beaten up pretty badly. My panic very quickly shifted to anger and the anger was from seeing people running frantically up and down the shoreline and wondering why they wouldn't come out and rescue me."

Every so often, someone does the unthinkable — they survive going over Niagara Falls without protection.

No barrel.

No raft.

No safety gear.

Just the crushing drop and chaos below.

It’s almost always fatal. But somehow, a tiny handful of people have lived to tell the tale.

👤 How Many Have Survived?

In all of Niagara’s recorded history, only three people are known to have survived going over the Falls without any protective equipment.

But that number doesn’t tell the whole story. Some bodies are never found. The currents are violent, the mist is thick, and the rocks below unforgiving. There’s no way to know how many people have gone over and disappeared without a trace.
These are the three confirmed survivors:

July 9, 1960 — Roger Woodward

Type: Accidental fall

Outcome: Survived

If you’ve been reading this blog, you’ve seen us mention Roger Woodward more than once — and for good reason.

On July 9, 1960, Roger was just 7 years old when the small aluminum boat he was in capsized above Horseshoe Falls. He was with his sister and a family friend, who tragically did not survive. Roger, wearing only a life jacket, was swept over the 167-foot drop of Horseshoe Falls.

And yet — he lived.

The Maid of the Mist II crew pulled him from the churning waters below. He became the youngest person ever to survive a fall over Niagara Falls without a barrel.

To this day, he says he can still smell the water when he tells the story.

October 22, 2003 — Kirk Jones

Type: Stunt or suicide attempt

Outcome: Survived

Kirk Jones of Michigan became the first adult to survive a plunge over the Falls without any flotation device. He reportedly swam from 100 yards upstream before going over Horseshoe Falls. Initially seen as a stunt — one that his friends tried and failed to record — Jones later claimed it was a suicide attempt.

He was fined $2,300 CAD, banned for life from Canada, and briefly toured with a circus promoting his survival. Tragically, in April 2017, he attempted to go over the Falls again — this time inside an inflatable ball — and did not survive.

March 10, 2009 — Unnamed Canadian Man

Type: Suicide attempt

Outcome: Survived

Witnesses saw a 30-something Canadian man go over the Falls. His clothes were ripped off by the force of the water. He suffered a serious head injury, cold shock, and hypothermia, but was pulled from the river roughly 300 meters downstream. He survived — making him the third confirmed person to endure the plunge unprotected.

⛔ Why It’s Almost Always Fatal

Understanding how rare these survivals are means understanding the physics of the Falls.

Professional high divers rarely dive from more than 90 feet (27 meters).
Even at those heights, injuries are common and entry must be perfect — feet first, arms tight.
Niagara Falls is 167 feet (51 meters) high — nearly double that limit.

And the water below? It’s not just deep — it’s boiling chaos.

Whirlpools. Hidden rocks. Crushing hydraulics.

Even if you survive the fall, the seconds afterward are a second death.

⚖️ The Law and the Risk

That’s why going over the Falls today is illegal.

It’s not just reckless — it puts emergency responders in danger, disrupts tourism, and often ends in tragedy.

But for the few who lived, their stories remind us of something deeper:

Niagara is not a theme park.

It is a living force — ancient, wild, and untouched by our rules.

It doesn’t bend to human will. It doesn’t forgive mistakes.

Come See It — From the Safe Side

You don’t need to go over the edge to feel the awe.

With Go Niagara Tours, you can stand at the brink, walk behind the roar, ride the river, and hear the stories — of glaciers, daredevils, miracles, and myths.

Let us show you what makes Niagara Falls one of the most powerful places on Earth.

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