Boy, does time fly. I can remember almost like it was yesterday when 22 year old Steven Trotter of Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday, August 18, 1985 intentionally went over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls in a contraption he called, “The Rig” and lived to tell about it.

 

I was at the time working in the Park for The Niagara Parks Commission as the “Duty Manager” for the weekend.

I heard word over the Niagara Parks Police radio that Trotter had made the trip over the falls becoming the 9th daredevil to make such a trip. His contraption which he called “The Rig”, consisted of eight tractor-trailer inner tubes, covered a fiberglass capsule. The capsule was lined with thick foam similar to the kind used as nuclear warhead packing.

 

I headed for the pool area at the Maid of the Mist dock below the falls and there he was, a bold, brash and I soon learned likeable individual dressed only in a checkered swimming suit standing beside his contraption. I’ve included a photograph I took of Steven Trotter beside his “Rig”.

 

It didn’t take long for an ambulance to whisk him to our local hospital where he received a clean bill of health.

 

Ten years later on June 18, 1995 Trotter would take another trip in a 10-foot long aluminum barrel over the falls, this time with 29 year old Lori Martin.

Both survived to tell about it.

 

 I was also on hand for their rescue from the Niagara River just below the Table Rock Scenic Tunnels (now Journey Behind the Falls) attraction.

 

My 20 year old son Michael was with me on this occasion took the accompanying photographs found in my Daredevils Over Niagara book. The publication is available at many Niagara Gift stores.