It was a real drama that played out in Niagara Falls Park on Sunday, February 12, 2023. That day, a couple and their five-year-old son went to Goat Island, very close to Niagara Falls . At around 12:30 p.m., the 34-year-old mother and her son climbed over the railing and jumped into the void. They crashed below, after falling nearly 30 meters high.
Quickly, the rescuers decided to intervene at the level of the cave of the winds and evolved for nearly a kilometer on a “dangerous icy terrain” to get to the victims. Once there, they could only see the death of the mother. The little boy was found alive and conscious. “[The boy] was stable enough that they could transport him to a waiting ambulance,” police captain Chris Rola said.
The thesis of suicide is favored by the investigators
Evacuated by helicopter by the emergency services, the five-year-old child was taken to Oishei Children’s Hospital. According to initial information, he suffered a head injury and was still in critical condition on Thursday February 16. Meanwhile, the mother’s body was airlifted out of the gorge.
After the tragedy, an investigation was opened and entrusted to the New York State Police. “The investigation is ongoing, but we do not believe it was an accident,” said captain Chris Rola. For the moment, everything suggests that the mother from Illinois would have chosen to jump intentionally with her child. “We are not disclosing any names due to the possibility that this case is a suicide,” confirmed James O’Callaghan to Buffalo News. The father of the child is currently being questioned and could help to advance the investigation.
Niagara Falls © Photo by Edward Koorey on Unsplash
