It was 54 years ago this month on July 9th,1960 7-year old Roger Woodward, as the result of a boating accident, went over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls wearing only a life jacket and survived. His 17-year old sister, Deanne was also miraculously plucked from the Niagara River seconds before she went over Niagara Falls. They both survived. Some people call it,”The Miracle at Niagara”.

Here’s the story in a nutshell.

The children, along with the owner and operator of the boat, James Honeycutt, accidentally got caught in the fast flowing rapids about one mile above the falls. The fierce rapids flipped the boat and all three occupants into the water. Mr. Honeycutt was swept over the falls to his death. The two children survived. Roger was picked up with only minor injuries below the falls by the crew of the Maid of the Mist only minutes after his plunge. His sister was rescued just at the edge of the falls by two gentlemen who joined arms to pluck her out of the water. She was also unharmed.

Roger and his sister have visited the falls over the past number of years and I have become friends with both of them.

Both are not happy when they are listed in the Daredevil section of history books because they were not daredevils but two fortunate people who narrowly escaped death at Niagara Falls.

For more on their story plus photographs check the internet.