FALLING IN NIAGARA FALLS

Niagara Falls may not be the biggest falls in the world, but they are certainly among the most famous. Millions of visitors flock to this natural wonder every year, drawn by its history, romance, and spectacular views. But for some, simply standing at the edge of the falls isn't enough. They want to get even closer, to feel the raw power of the water rushing over the edge. But what would happen if you fell into Niagara Falls?

The Canadian Horseshoe Falls is the most famous of the three waterfalls that make up Niagara Falls. It's a towering 57 meters tall and 670 meters wide, with water rushing over its edge at a peak speed of 109 km/h. It dumps a staggering 2.8 million liters of water over its edge every second. It's hard to believe that anyone could survive a trip over the falls, but it's been done several times.

The first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls was Annie Edson Taylor in 1921. On her 63rd birthday, she crawled into an oak and iron barrel and floated right over the edge of the falls. Taylor performed the stunt for money and fame, but she didn't earn much for her feat. Nonetheless, daredevils seeking to follow in her footsteps were not deterred.

In 1928, Jean Lussier went over Niagara Falls in a 182-centimeter rubber and steel ball lined with 32 inner tubes. Lussier survived the fall and spent the rest of his life selling souvenirs to tourists. Not all the daredevils were as lucky as Taylor and Lussier. In fact, of the 16 people who've tried to beat the falls, just a little more than half have lived to tell the tale. To date, only five people have survived an unprotected fall down the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

The first and youngest was Roger Woodward in 1960. He was only 7 years old at the time when a boating accident caused him to be swept overboard and over the edge of the falls. Woodward was rescued shortly after and made a full recovery after spending just three days in the hospital being treated for a concussion. Today, that event is still referred to as the miracle at Niagara.

Most rescuers and experts at Niagara consider unprotected survival stories to be blind luck, but there are some strategies that might just save your life if you find yourself hurtling towards the edge of a 57-meter drop. The first thing you need to remember just before you go over is to take a really deep breath. When you reach the bottom, there will be so much water swirling around you, not to mention the intense pressure of the water falling from above, that you can easily suffocate. So taking a big gulp of air before your fall could buy you some time.

You'll also want to take precautions to protect your head. If you can orient yourself so that you fall feet first, then you'll want to wrap your arms around your head with your elbows over your nose and clench your eyes and mouth shut as tightly as possible. In fact, you should tense up all your muscles and bring your legs together before impact, making your body as watertight as possible.

You're already incredibly lucky if you survive the fall, but that doesn't mean your ordeal is over. The water temperature below the falls is around the freezing mark, which gives you about 15 minutes to get out of there before hypothermia kicks in. You'll likely be badly bruised and terribly disoriented, but if you can stay calm and focused, you might just be one of the lucky few to survive a fall into Niagara Falls.

Of course, the best way to survive is to pay attention to the warning signs and respect the safety rails. After all, the falls are huge. Do you really need to risk your life to get a closer look? Then again, people have survived crazier falls. Can you believe anyone could survive falling out of an airplane?