Over the past few weeks, there have been deaths at waterfalls that I have visited over the past few months. I wanted to share this on the site because it emphasizes that exploring Mother Earth’s natural wonders can be an extremely danger venture.
On this site in the past, I have talked about trespassing and ignoring the warning signs. I still believe you can do both, with great planning to know the situation you’re getting into and being cautiously aware of the dangers. But, you should know that taking a walk on the wild side can, indeed, end up in tragedy.
Here’s a look at the recent unfortunate events:
Letchworth State Park
On Saturday, June 11, 2016, a group of seven people from the same extended family were swept into the Genesee River, just above the Lower Genesee Falls. This is a 70 foot waterfall with a 150 foot crest. The thing about the crest is, the ridge that the river plunges over is at somewhere around a 45 degree angle to the shore, creating a nasty cauldron of water at the base on the western side of the river.
Of the seven, five came safely ashore downstream. Unfortunately, two did not make it. The bodies of a nine year old and six year were found days later. The nine year was not found until Tuesday afternoon, nearly two full days later.
Word from the press is that the group was playing in the water, above the waterfall. One slipped into fast moving water, and the rest followed, presumably trying to help the first person who was swept away.
I’ve been to edge of this waterfall, against the wishes of the authorities of Letchworth State Park. I have no idea why people would think it would be safe to play in the water anywhere near this smaller version of Niagara Falls.
Our previous article from this location: Letchworth State Park
Devil’s Punchbowl Waterfall
On Wednesday, June 8, 2016, a 25 year old Toronto man fell 100 feet from the western edge of the Devil’s Punchbowl. After being rescued, he died the following morning in hospital. He was with friends, looking to get a great picture. My guess is he slipped on the vegetation or loose surface, or he was accidentally bumped by friends.
Not long ago, I walked in this very same area. There are barricades but they are easily walked over or around. The whole idea of the complete lack of barriers before the edge of this cliff and the fact that you are actually walking on an overhang with erosion always on the job, along with the fact there is a noticeable crack in the rock that makes it obvious that that overhang will not too long from now be at the bottom of the punch bowl, make me nervous. It made me nervous enough not too get as close to the edge as this unfortunate soul did.
Our previous article from this location: Devil’s Punchbowl
That’s not all…
I’ve visited a couple other places fairly recently that have a recent history of severe accidents. On August 9, 2015, a man was swimming in the north branch of the Muskoka River when the current became too much and he was swept over Muskoka High Falls. The man never left the river alive.
I’ve visited this site on more than one occasion but have never thought to swim above a rocky waterfall. As for Muskoka High Falls, you can hike all along the edge of the waterfall, getting up close and personal. There are no barricades or warnings and it is quite safe, as long as you’re not entering from the top.
Duchesnay Falls is a beauty near North Bay, Ontario that I finally got to visit in the fall of 2015. This is a long and rocky waterfall with several drops. The water is fast but seems fairly harmless if you respect it. A jogger in June, 2014, had an accident here but lived to tell the tale. He fell an estimated 80 to 90 feet after losing his footing and needed rescuing to get out.
My Point
There’s a lot of beauty in this world. In nature, beauty comes with danger. If you want to enjoy all this planet has to offer and live, you truly must treat it with the utmost respect. Not a single person mentioned in the four stories above planned to die or get severely injured. Up until the point of no return, they were most likely in a very happy place. Your situation can change in an instant and you need to be prepared.
I’ve left names out of the stories out of respect for the victims. However, if you would like to know more details, here are links to reputable news sources that provided the news.
