Are you planning to go visit one of the stunning displays of nature known as the Niagara Falls, and you’re wondering if you can swim in this massive waterfall? Well, let’s find out in this article.
Niagara Falls might not be the biggest falls in the world, but it is inarguably one of the most famous, and they attract lots of tourists and visitors every year from around the world.
It’s made up of a group of three falls: the Canadian horseshoe falls, American Falls, and Bridal veil falls. These three combine to produce the largest flow rates of any waterfall in the world, dumping several hundreds of thousands of gallons of water over its edge every second.
According to stats, about 25 million people, with the numbers constantly growing, visit this destination every year just to experience this spectacular display of nature. It’s an amazing place that almost everyone wishes to visit at some point or should visit before they die.
Several tourists wonder if it’s okay to take a dip in this vacation spot when they visit because well, who wouldn’t want to. Let’s go straight to answering that question.
Is It Safe to Swim In Niagara Falls?
Absolutely not. It’s dangerous to swim in the river and even more dangerous to swim close to or in the falls. Except it’s the water parks and pools around Niagara Falls that fill up with natural clean and clear spring water, you should never attempt or even swim in the actual river or fall.
The rivers that make up the Niagara Falls flow at 8-10 miles per hour which leads to the falls which drop at about 70 miles per hour. The chances of anyone surviving swimming in the river or going over the falls are pretty slim.
According to stats, the mortality rate for daredevils who willingly attempt a jump over the falls is at 25%. Twenty-five percent!!! To me, that’s, pretty high. Asides from that, yearly, about 30 people die from going over the falls.
Except you’re crazy or have a death wish, it’s not something you want to try. Some might say “Ooooh, but I don’t want to go over the falls, I just want to swim in the river, that’s all”. Well, my friend, the rivers lead to the fall, and they move at speeds of up to 10 miles per hour. You’re definitely going to end up over the falls.
However, the Canadian horseshoe is said to be more survivable than the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls because there are no rocks at the bottom of the Canadian Horseshoe compared to the others.
People don’t dare to go over the American Falls either by accident or deliberately because they most definitely won’t survive. Still, it’s not advisable to swim in any of them.
A Better Approach to Swimming At Niagara Falls
If or when you visit Niagara Falls, and you feel the need to get wet, there are really cool water parks such as Windmill Point Park and Windmill Point Park with naturally spring-fed pools and creeks where you can swim. Also, there are hotels with indoor pools around.
Just don’t go anywhere near the river with a high current flowing at about 10 miles per hour, so you don’t end up near the crest of the fall. Well, except you’re Aquaman, you won’t be able to swim against the strong current and your chances of surviving the fall are very slim.
Will I survive if I jump into Niagara Falls?
Honestly, there’s a pretty low chance of anyone surviving a fall from the Niagara Falls. Your chances fall below 50% which isn’t good for you.
The authorities who keep track of the deaths in Niagara Falls have put it at over 5000 in the past 150yrs and every year, about 30 people die at Niagara Falls. It’s better you don’t attempt to jump over or go close to the falls at all.
Has anyone survived a plunge over Niagara Falls?
Yes, people have survived. Some survived because of some sort of protective gear or clothing they had done. There was a time, about 19 people went over Niagara Falls with protective clothing, and 12 people managed to survive with the other 7 dying from the fall.
Your chances of surviving the fall if you have some protective gear on are slightly above 50%.
However, without any gear on, your chances fall way below 50%. Within a period where about 13 people went over Niagara Falls, 5 of them survived but sustained severe injuries.
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