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Niagara Falls. Man Makes History |
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On Monday October 20th 2003 at 12:45 p.m., Kirk Raymond Jones became the first human in recorded history to go over the Horseshoe Falls unaided and survive virtually unscathed. The most remarkable aspect was that he did so without any safety and/or flotation device. The 40 year old, single and unemployed man from Canton Michigan (south of Detroit) came to the Niagara Falls on Saturday October 18th along with a his friend Bob Krueger of Garden City, Michigan. Both spend several nights at a local motel on Lundy's Lane for several nights before his actual stunt. In preparation, Jones had bought a used video camera. His plan was to have Krueger video record Jones' feat for prosperity, historical and perhaps for financial reasons. Unfortunately, Krueger didn't learn to properly operate the video camera before the event and did not capture any part of it on videotape. Kirk Jones carried through with his plan of jumping into to upper Niagara River approximately 20 feet from the brink of the Horseshoe Falls at the Table Rock of the Niagara Parks Commission property along the Canadian shore. Jones, wearing only the clothes on his back, was quickly swept over the Falls (170 feet) to the plunge pool basin below.
Kirk Jones was admitted to the psychiatric unit on an involuntary basis pending an assessment. Jones stated that his stunt wasn't a stunt at all but a failed attempt at suicide. Others close to Jones including family members contradict this view and have indicated that Kirk Jones had planned to go over the Falls as a stunt for the fame and fortune including gainful employment which he believed would follow. The planning process can only be described as very unsophisticated and unscientific. Whatever the motive, Kirk Raymond Jones has etched his name forever in the annals of Niagara Falls daredevil history. www.iaw.com/~falls/ |
Seconds later Kirk Jones emerged from the turbulent waters below
and was able to pull himself to safety onto a rock a short distance
away from the cataracts. Here he remained stranded until the arrival
of emergency service personnel who rescued him from his precarious
perch and transported him to the top of the gorge. Jones was transported
to the Greater Niagara General Hospital suffering only minor rib
injuries.