A woman is dead but her five-year-old son survived after the two plunged 90 feet into a gorge at Niagara Falls on Monday, according to law enforcement.
However, authorities said the fall was not believed to be accidental, NBC News reported Friday.
Numerous calls came into the New York State Park Police when the incident happened near the Cave of the Winds complex, Capt. Chris Rola explained.
“Park police officers responded, they were able to go down the Cave of the Winds elevator. Niagara Falls Fire was also called, they assisted, went down with us. They were able to traverse the bottom of the gorge up the ice where the two individuals had fallen into the gorge,” he stated.
The crews reached the two individuals and provided lifesaving measures. The child was deemed stable, therefore, he was carried out to an ambulance and transported to a local hospital. He later underwent surgery and was listed in critical condition.
Video shows emergency crews, their vehicles, and helicopters at the scene. According to WGRZ, recovering the woman’s body was difficult for crews due to conditions at the gorge:
Rola told reporters that “Unfortunately, the female did not make it. She was recovered by the New York State Police aviation unit and is being taken by the Niagara County Coroner.”
Aerial video footage from May shows the rushing waterfalls at the Cave of the Winds, which is considered one of the main attractions for visitors when it comes to Niagara Falls:
Rola noted that authorities were still investigating what happened, but “but we don’t believe it was an accident,” he said.
According to the NBC report, the identities of the woman and child have not yet been made public. The woman was reportedly in the area with her husband, whom officials are interviewing along with others who were at the scene when the incident occurred.
