Woman killed, child badly injured in fall into the gorge at Niagara Falls State Park

Rick Pfeiffer -, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

Feb. 13—A woman is dead and her 5-year-old child was seriously injured after an incident in the New York State Park Monday afternoon.

State Park Police said their dispatchers received "multiple calls", at about 12:30 p.m., reporting that an "adult female and her child fell into the Niagara Gorge between Terrapin Point and the Cave of the Winds."

Park Police Capt. Chris Rola said officers and firefighters from the Falls Fire Department were able "to traverse the side of the gorge" to reach the woman and her son. The area where the victims were found was described by rescuers as an overhang that jutted from the face of the gorge wall.

Rescuers described the terrain where the victims were located as, "rocky, jagged and with a lot of ice." They moved quickly to remove the child, while CPR was performed on his mother.

"He was stable enough to be brought out and taken up on the elevator for the Cave of the Winds," Rola said. "He was then transported by Mercy Flight."

First responders said the boy was taken to Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo. He reportedly suffered a head injury and his condition was unknown as of late Monday afternoon.

The mother was later pronounced dead at the scene. Because of the difficult terrain where her body was located, a helicopter from the New York State Police Aviation Division was called in.

The helicopter descended into the gorge and was able to lift the body out in a basket. The woman's body was turned over to a Niagara County coroner.

"The investigation is still ongoing," Rola said. "But we don't believe it was an accident."

The woman and child were with another family member at the time of the incident. Witnesses at the scene said that the woman jumped over the railing that acts as a safety barrier.

Rola said State Park Police investigators were interviewing those witnesses as part of their investigation. The Park Police captain said the victims fell about 90 feet into the gorge, which plunges 180 feet to the base of the Horseshoe, Bridal Vail and American falls.

"They really reached (the victims) pretty quickly," Rola said. "Although it was a nice day today, it's still really icy down there and very rough terrain."

Rola declined to identify the victims, but sources tell the Gazette they are believed to be tourists to the area.