10/22/2003: Niagara faller

Undertoad · 10-22-2003, 12:59 PM

Elspode picked up this one. This is now day-old news, but this is one Kirk Jones, who became the first person to go over Niagara Falls without anything but the shirt on his back, and survive.

Dude is incredibly lucky. How lucky? According to one interview I saw, there have been about 150 suicides by jumping Niagara over the years. Nobody ever lived. There have been at least 15 attempts that included barrels or some other sort of protection, and 10 of those resulted in death.

This begs the question: if you try to kill yourself this way and live, do you regard it as the ultimate failure or the ultimate success?

If failure, do you give up, figuring that you're so bad at it that you'll never succeed - or do you keep on trying, to show the world that even though you want to kill yourself, you really are competent at it?

In this case, Jones gets an arrest on the charge of "performing an unlawful stunt within a government-run park", a Canadian law without which one imagines thousands of Canucks hurling themselves over the Niagara ledges.

They don't want people doing this sort of thing because it puts rescue workers under undue stress, although it looks like Mr. Jones should be the only one not charged for that reason, because he is the only one ever to not really need rescuing. And if they want to cut costs, they can skip the free psych evaluation he will now be getting, because we all know the obvious: this guy is disturbed.

10-22-2003, 01:10 PM

Definitely more than 5 attempts have been successful (I've been to Niagara a lot of times, and I read at the museum and online and stuff). Maybe you got those figures transposed, wherein 5 have died and there have been 10 successful attempts? I know at least one guy went over twice.

Undertoad · 10-22-2003, 01:23 PM

I think the numbers are only from the 1900s up, and I think they are reversed, based on this page

http://www.iaw.com/~falls/devil_frame.html

Beletseri · 10-22-2003, 01:23 PM

And I heard on the news that a kid was swept over the falls some time ago and survived so maybe Kirk is the only one to go over sans barrel voluntarily and survive.

Elspode · 10-22-2003, 01:37 PM

I had pretty much the same thought as UT...if you *were* trying to commit suicide by going over the Falls, and survived, don't you have to figure that the Gods want you alive for some reason?

One account I read said that Kirk had a companion who was videotaping the event. "Jackass", eat your hearts out! Perhaps he can make back the $10k fine on sales of the video? More likely, the authorities will confiscate it as evidence and decline to return it, since it was made during the commission of a crime, and we can't have people profiting off of such things, can we?

Happy Monkey · 10-22-2003, 02:24 PM

I think the kid had a lifejacket. This guy had just his clothes. The two of them are the only ones to survive without a barrel.

Undertoad · 10-22-2003, 02:30 PM

Today he was interviewed and said that it was a suicide attempt, but the minute he hit the water he decided he really really wanted to live, and says that this was an awfully stupid thing he's done.

breakingnews · 10-22-2003, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Undertoad
Today he was interviewed and said that it was a suicide attempt, but the minute he hit the water he decided he really really wanted to live, and says that this was an awfully stupid thing he's done.

WEird, because in an earlier interview with his family, his parents and brothers said he wanted to do it last year, but when the moment came, he balked.

His brother is quoted as Kirk telling him, 'I'm going to make some money from this."

Apparently some guy tried to commit suicide some time ago but he somehow got caught on rocks on the way down and didn't make it all the way to the bottom. Authorities pulled him from the rocks. NY Post reported that - check google news for details.

EdZachary · 10-22-2003, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Happy Monkey
I think the kid had a lifejacket. This guy had just his clothes. The two of them are the only ones to survive without a barrel.

The kid was 7 yrs old (in 1960) and he was swept over the edge after the boat he was in capsized. Talk about traumatic!

breakingnews · 10-22-2003, 04:24 PM

You know, I went over the falls about five years ago. No lifejacket or nuthin'. I thought it'd be a crazy thing to do - and it was.

Of course, it was undocumented, but ask my friend Bob. He was there. He'll tell you I did it.

Scopulus Argentarius · 10-22-2003, 09:25 PM

Nuts....plain..unsalted nuts

wolf · 10-23-2003, 12:02 AM

Uhhh, breaking ... yer spoasta REPORT the news, not BE it.

xoxoxoBruce · 10-23-2003, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by breakingnews
You know, I went over the falls about five years ago. No lifejacket or nuthin'. I thought it'd be a crazy thing to do - and it was.

Of course, it was undocumented, but ask my friend Bob. He was there. He'll tell you I did it.

It's amazing how after going over the falls the current washed you into that alley behind the bar where you came to.

10-23-2003, 09:20 AM

Haha! I get it! Niagara <b>Fall</b>er! Ha!

Beletseri · 10-23-2003, 10:21 AM

about time.

10-22-2003, 12:59 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	10/22/2003: Niagara faller Elspode picked up this one. This is now day-old news, but this is one Kirk Jones, who became the first person to go over Niagara Falls without anything but the shirt on his back, and survive. Dude is incredibly lucky. How lucky? According to one interview I saw, there have been about 150 suicides by jumping Niagara over the years. Nobody ever lived. There have been at least 15 attempts that included barrels or some other sort of protection, and 10 of those resulted in death. This begs the question: if you try to kill yourself this way and live, do you regard it as the ultimate failure or the ultimate success? If failure, do you give up, figuring that you're so bad at it that you'll never succeed - or do you keep on trying, to show the world that even though you want to kill yourself, you really are competent at it? In this case, Jones gets an arrest on the charge of "performing an unlawful stunt within a government-run park", a Canadian law without which one imagines thousands of Canucks hurling themselves over the Niagara ledges. They don't want people doing this sort of thing because it puts rescue workers under undue stress, although it looks like Mr. Jones should be the only one not charged for that reason, because he is the only one ever to not really need rescuing. And if they want to cut costs, they can skip the free psych evaluation he will now be getting, because we all know the obvious: this guy is disturbed.

10-22-2003, 01:37 PM	#5
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	I had pretty much the same thought as UT...if you were trying to commit suicide by going over the Falls, and survived, don't you have to figure that the Gods want you alive for some reason? One account I read said that Kirk had a companion who was videotaping the event. "Jackass", eat your hearts out! Perhaps he can make back the $10k fine on sales of the video? More likely, the authorities will confiscate it as evidence and decline to return it, since it was made during the commission of a crime, and we can't have people profiting off of such things, can we? __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

10-22-2003, 02:24 PM	#6
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	I think the kid had a lifejacket. This guy had just his clothes. The two of them are the only ones to survive without a barrel. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

10-23-2003, 12:02 AM	#12
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Uhhh, breaking ... yer spoasta REPORT the news, not BE it. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

10-22-2003, 01:10 PM	#2
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Definitely more than 5 attempts have been successful (I've been to Niagara a lot of times, and I read at the museum and online and stuff). Maybe you got those figures transposed, wherein 5 have died and there have been 10 successful attempts? I know at least one guy went over twice.

10-22-2003, 01:23 PM	#3
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I think the numbers are only from the 1900s up, and I think they are reversed, based on this page http://www.iaw.com/~falls/devil_frame.html

10-22-2003, 01:23 PM	#4
Beletseri Yeah sez you Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 206	And I heard on the news that a kid was swept over the falls some time ago and survived so maybe Kirk is the only one to go over sans barrel voluntarily and survive.

10-22-2003, 02:30 PM	#7
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Today he was interviewed and said that it was a suicide attempt, but the minute he hit the water he decided he really really wanted to live, and says that this was an awfully stupid thing he's done.

10-22-2003, 04:24 PM	#10
breakingnews Q_Q Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: somewhere in between Posts: 995	You know, I went over the falls about five years ago. No lifejacket or nuthin'. I thought it'd be a crazy thing to do - and it was. Of course, it was undocumented, but ask my friend Bob. He was there. He'll tell you I did it.

10-22-2003, 09:25 PM	#11
Scopulus Argentarius Your current user title is: Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: BTR Posts: 301	Nuts....plain..unsalted nuts

10-23-2003, 09:20 AM	#14
dave Guest Posts: n/a	Haha! I get it! Niagara <b>Fall</b>er! Ha!

10-23-2003, 10:21 AM	#15
Beletseri Yeah sez you Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 206	about time.

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