Man Pulled From Brink of Niagara Falls; 'Don't Let Me Go!' He Tells Rescuers

Associated Press ^ | 3/20/03 | AP

[Diddle E. Squat]

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) - A 48-year-old man was rescued from the brink of Niagara Falls after spending two hours on a cliff, knee-deep in icy water. "Hold me! Don't let me go!" he cried out to rescuers during his ordeal Wednesday. The man, whose name was not released, was taken to a hospital suffering from severe hypothermia, and was in stable condition Thursday.

The man jumped or fell off Goat Island, sliding down an icy slope on the small island on the American side of the falls. He ended up 20 feet from shore and five feet from the falls' 170-foot drop, authorities said.

"This guy was as close to going over the edge as I've seen in my 29 years here," said John Jacoby, a battalion chief with the Niagara Falls Fire Department.

"There was one point near the end when he stumbled, and we thought he was going over the falls," Jacoby said. "I don't know how, but he managed to regain his footing. It was nothing short of miraculous."

Wind and water currents made the rescue difficult.

A helicopter attempted several times to lower a rescue ring to the man before he managed to grab it. The current then dragged his legs under the ice, trapping him, Jacoby said.

About 20 officers on shore pulled ropes attached to the rescue ring to finally bring the man to safety, officials said.

Lt. William Pattie of the state parks police would not disclose whether the man had intentionally entered the water, saying only: "It would be safe to say that he was having some problems."

The last such rescue happened in 1975, after a gang of youths threw a 20-year-old woman into the water as she took a late night stroll, said historian Paul Gromosiak. The woman clung to a rock a few feet from the brink before being rescued.

[Diddle E. Squat]

The last such rescue happened in 1975, after a gang of youths threw a 20-year-old woman into the water as she took a late night stroll, said historian Paul Gromosiak. The woman clung to a rock a few feet from the brink before being rescued.

!!!

[Coop]

Let me guess. He was trying to hang an anti-war banner.

[GoredInMich]

LOL

What other logical explanation could there be?

[1Old Pro]

Yep

[Diddle E. Squat]

I've had this happen to me in nightmares.

[boris]

Slowly I turned...

[lsee]

"Hold me! Don't let me go!" he cried

Hold me, hold me
Never let me go until you've
Told me, told me, what I want to know
And then just hold me, hold me..
Make me tell you I'm in love with you...

[dannyc1]

ROTFLMAO

[Willie Green]

Don't try this at home.

[Diddle E. Squat]

scary bump

[csvset]

An Erie County Sheriff's helicopter drops a life buoy to a man stranded at the Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls, New York, on Wednesday. The man was later pulled to saftey. -- AP

[Fury]

Wow! That is about as close to the edge without going over as you can get...

[csvset]

Stuck there for two hours? Brrrrr.....

Saftey=safety

[ganesha]

I am amazed that it would even be physically possible to stand there. I grew up in Buffalo and have always assumed that if you fell in that close to the edge you would be swept to your death by the strength of the current.

[BossLady]

Oh man....my stomach lurched into my throat seeing that picture......ugh!!!!!

[Hammerhead]

Frigg'n maniac trout fishermen.

[mhking]

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

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