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This grim discovery meant engineers had to completely shut down water flow at Niagara Falls

Home> News> Tech News

Published 10:45 5 Nov 2024 GMT

This grim discovery meant engineers had to completely shut down water flow at Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls has a pretty morbid history

Tom Chapman

Tom Chapman

Even though Niagara Falls isn't held up there with the likes of the Grand Canyon or Mount Everest, many consider it the eighth Wonder of the Natural World.

We guess that Victoria Falls was already on there and you can't really have two waterfalls making the cut.

Anyway, Niagara Falls is an icon in its own right, bordering Canada and the USA between Ontario and New York.

With an average of 168,000 cubic meters of water flowing through it every minute, it's one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world and is a major tourist attraction.

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The famous Horseshoe Falls at Niagara (Anjelika Gretskaia / Getty)
The famous Horseshoe Falls at Niagara (Anjelika Gretskaia / Getty)

We've all heard about the colorful history of people going over the falls in barrels, but over the years, everything from jet skis to canoes have taken daredevils plunging into the water below.

Thousands of people have gone over Niagara falls either intentionally or otherwise, but only 16 have survived.

There are actually three falls at Niagara, with the most famous being the Horseshoe Falls that straddles America and Canada.

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The smaller American Falls and Bridal Falls might not be as big, but are just as impressive.

Niagara Falls is part of a balancing act, with water sometimes being diverted to assess erosion.

In 1969, water was completely diverted from the American Falls for several months as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers checked for faults and strengthened the falls.

Images of the drained American Falls have resurfaced, as have myths and legends about what was found.

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According to Snopes, rumors of a 'grim' discovery are true, with two bodies being found in the dried bed of the falls.

The American Falls were drained in 1969 (Bob Olsen / Contributor / Getty)
The American Falls were drained in 1969 (Bob Olsen / Contributor / Getty)

Just one month before the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, The Vancouver Sun published a story from The Associated Press that reads: "The bodies of an unidentified man and woman have been found here in a grisly beginning to a major engineering feat that has all but halted flow of the Niagara River over the American Falls."

The decomposed body of the woman was discovered, while the man had apparently been seen leaping over the falls. There are no records about whether the bodies were ever identified, making them mysteries to this day.

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Away from harrowing discoveries, the 1969 crew also reportedly found millions of coins. Whether accidental or from tourists looking for good luck, the dried bed was covered in currency.

These days, cell phones, baby strollers, and even drones are among the treasures that end up at the bottom of the falls.

Niagara falls continues to be a popular tourist destination, but for those dark tourists among you, you might be surprised when you dive into the grim history of the falls and those who've perished there.

Featured Image Credit: NBC / LeoPatrizi / Getty
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