Niagara Falls History

Daredevils riding barrels over the Horseshoe Falls are probably just as famous as Niagara Falls itself. Offered below is a complete list of these unique individuals, who’ve etched their names forever in Niagara’s amazing history.

10/24/01 Annie Edison Taylor becomes the first person to go over the Horseshoe Falls in her oak barrel. Seeking fame and fortune, she dies penniless in 1921.

7/25/11- Bobby Leach, an Englishman, rides a steel barrel to fame as the first man to conquer the Falls. In 1926 Leach slips on an orange peel. He later dies after surgery to remove his broken, gangrene-infected leg.

7/11/20- George Stevens, the “English Daredevil”, dies in his attempt to challenge Niagara in a Russian Oak barrel. An anvil used for ballast tore through the bottom of the barrel, leaving only his right arm inside.

7/4/28- Jean Lussier, a French Canadian, survives the falls in a steel reinforced rubber ball. Lussier lived in Niagara Falls, New York until his death in 1971.

7/5/30-George Stathakis, a Greek “Mystic” dies when his heavy oak barrel is caught behind the Horseshoe Falls for 16 hours. His pet turtle survives suffocation becoming a local novelty.

8/5/51-William”Red” Hill Jr. horrifies 200,000 when his inner tube and canvas barrel (named ”The Thing”) breaks apart in the upper rapids, well before plunging over the Falls. Hill’s body is recovered the next day.

7/9/60-Roger Woodward is accidentally swept over the Horseshoe, wearing only a life jacket. The 6 year old’s survival enters Niagara lore as the “Miracle of Niagara.”

7/15/61-William Fitzgerald (AKA Nathan Boya) from New York City becomes the only African American to conquer the Falls. He christens his rubber and steel ball the “Plunge-O-Sphere.”

7/2/84- Karel Soucek survives the Falls in a custom made steel and plastic barrel. Calling himself the “Last of the Niagara Daredevils” the Canadian dies while recreating the stunt 1/20/85 at the Houston Astrodome.

8/18/85- Steve Trotter, of Rhode Island, makes history by riding over the Falls in a foamed-lined pickle barrel surrounded by huge inner tubes. Trotter appeared on The Tonight Show days later after Johnny Carson saw news footage of the stunt.

10/5/85- Dave Munday successfully challenges the Horseshoe after a failed attempt 3 months earlier. The Canadian’s barrel consists of a 400-gallon plastic tank surrounded by 10" of Styrofoam.

9/28/89- Peter DeBernardi and Jeff Petkovich become the first two-person team to conquer the Falls. Their barrel was a 12-foot steel reinforced tank. Petkovich emerged from the barrel completely naked except for cowboy boots and hat.

6/5/90- Jessie Sharp, an expert canoer from Tennessee, plunges to his death in a 12-foot red kayak called “Rapidman.” Sharp’s body was never found.

9/26/93- Dave Munday becomes the first person to go over the Horseshoe twice and live. After a failed attempt 7/15/90, Munday successfully completes his second attempt in a converted diving bell.

6/18/95- Steve Trotter becomes the second person to survive the Horseshoe twice in a barrel. Accompanied by Lori Martin (of Georgia) they were the second 2-person team to conquer the Falls. The pair also made history as the first male/female team and Martin became the second woman to make the trip. Their barrel consisted of two water heaters welded together and wrapped in Kevlar and expansion foam.

10/1/95- Robert “Firecracker” Overacker rides a Jet Ski to his death over the Falls. A tourist snaps a picture of the Californian at the brink of the Horseshoe moments before his death. His body was recovered minutes later in the lower river.

10/20/03- Kirk Jones, a Michigan native, survives a feet-first plunge over the Horseshoe Falls without any protective device. His failed suicide attempt amazes the world. Jones made history as the second person to survive a plunge over Niagara Falls with only the clothes on his back.

Who’s Next?