“Depression, addiction, loneliness and unhappiness are common themes among those who have died by suicide at the Falls.”
NIAGARA FALLS, Canada — New arrivals and returnees always find a refreshing experience in the Falls shared by Ontario and New York due to its breathtaking natural beauty.
The Falls, long an important site for hydroelectric power and ancillary industries, has welcomed, according to available figures, about 14 million visitors every year, with an average of 20 to 30 people dying while going over the Falls — the blood-curling part of it is most of these deaths are suicides.
Only the day before our arrival, a woman, who has remained unidentified, jumped into Niagara Falls, just 11 days after New York mom 33-year-old Chianti Means and her two children, a five-month-old baby girl and nine-year-old son, jumped off Niagara Falls and are believed dead.
Some sources said the primary reason for suicides at the Falls is its accessibility combined with the overwhelming psychological factors of the rushing water.
“These often lead individuals struggling with depression, mental health issues, or extreme personal crises, to choose the Falls as a means to end their lives,” one source said.
He added, “Many suicides are linked to feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, and a desire to escape difficult situations with the powerful visual presence of the Falls acting as an incentive or motivation.”
Between 1850 and 2011, an estimated 5,000 bodies were recovered from the base of the Falls, according to official sources, and the majority of those deaths were suicides.
Most of the suicides are from the Canadian Horseshoe side of the Falls, with the suicides happening during the summer months (May to August) and during the day from 10 am to 8 pm.
“Depression, addiction, loneliness, and unhappiness are common themes among those who have died by suicide at the Falls,” another source said.
Which side of Niagara Falls is more frequently visited, the Canadian or the American side?
Our source was quick to the bat, saying the Canadian side is more frequently visited as it offers a more panoramic view of the Horseshoe Falls, the largest and most iconic part of the Falls and most visitors prefer the wider perspective available from the Canadian side.
There are two Canadian cities closest to Niagara Falls: Hamilton at a distance of 64 kms while Toronto is 67 kms away. Niagara Falls is only 27 kms northwest of Buffalo, New York and 69 kms southeast of Toronto between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.
Our grandson Aaron, now a freshman journalism student at the University of Toronto, and his Philippine-born parents, told us the Falls near Toronto is a major tourist attraction due to its breathtaking natural beauty.
The beauty is characterized by the colossal volume — 3,160 tons every second — that flows over Niagara Falls, which accounts for 75,750 gallons of water per second over the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 681,750 gallons per second over the Horseshoe Falls.
They offer an eye-catching visual experience that can be viewed from different vantage points including boat tours, observation decks, and walking behind the Falls, making it, in the words of some returnees, “unique and awe-inspiring natural wonder to witness hands-on.”
Tourists visiting the Falls can experience activities like a 22-minute boat tour on the Hornblower-operated Niagara Falls Boat Tour with a free souvenir rain poncho, walking behind the Falls at the Cave of the Winds, exploring Niagara Falls State Park, visiting Old Fort Niagara, enjoying a scenic helicopter tour, seeing fireworks displays, and experiencing the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens.
There is a difference between the Maid of the Mist and Hornblower, the former has been operating on the Niagara Falls River since 1846, first as a ferry and later as a sightseeing boat, while the latter has been operating the Niagara Falls Boat Tour for the past 10 years.
Some can opt for thrilling jet boat rides — a little over 28 Canadian dollars or P1,179 — or a more leisurely wine tour in the Niagara region.
We agreed with Aaron, our 18-year-old grandson, that the Boat Tour provides “a thrilling and hypnotic experience” that allows a tourist to witness the grandeur of Niagara Falls properly intimately.
“Of all the boat rides I have taken, this is special for me because we have lilo (grandfather) and grandma join us in what is now a family tradition,” Aaron, who has experienced the boat ride at least three times, was overheard telling his maternal aunt Harmony as we clambered up the boat during the weekend.
The blend of the boat ride, the splash at the Horseshoe bend, and the marvelous views make the Niagara Falls adventure an absolute must-do, so we first-timers found out.
We note the boat ride allows tourists to experience the American side and the nearby Bridal Veil Falls as well as the Horseshoe Falls which, viewed from above, forms a distinct curving crest that resembles a circular bend like a horseshoe.
Out of the ordinary, we asked if the Falls had ever been drained. When engineers and scientists shut down the Falls in 1969, the only time it was, officials found two bodies — one a woman’s and the other a man’s — and millions of coins, most of which were removed, as were the human remains.
The US Army Corps of Engineers drained Niagara Falls to study the rocks below the American Falls and assess the feasibility of removing debris.
Documents suggest authorities were concerned the boulders at the base of the Falls could become rapids or be unsightly. But the engineers decided the boulders were necessary to prop up the Falls.
The American Falls remained closed for over five months, and the event became a tourist attraction, with up to 100,000 people visiting to see the Falls without water.
As American pastor Harry Emerson Fosdick said, “No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled.”
Many are persuaded.
