On Monday, May 21, 2012, a man survived going over Niagara Falls, but according to records he is only the fourth time someone has taken the 54-metre plunge over the Horseshoe Falls and lived to tell about it. Out of the thousands who have come here to commit suicide over the years, the odds of surviving a Niagara Falls plunge is so minuscule.
It's only the fourth time a person is known to have survived a plunge over the falls, without a protective device like a barrel.
• In July 1960, a boy named Roger Woodward was swept over after a boating mishap on the upper Niagara River. He was wearing a life-jacket.
• In October 2003, Michigan man Kirk Jones survived after going over fully clothed.
• In March 2009, an unidentified man survived in the frigid lower river for 45 minutes while firefighters and a helicopter pilot fished him out.
Gallagher described Monday's survivor as being middle-aged, but did not release his name, his hometown or any indication why he went into the water. Police typically do not release the names of people who have attempted suicide.