Police investigating after woman dies, boy injured in 90-feet fall into Niagara Gorge
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding a 90-foot-fall in the Niagara Gorge Monday in which a woman died and her 5-year-old son was critically injured.
The child, who has undergone surgery since the fall, is in critical condition with a head injury at Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo, according to New York State Park Police (NYSPP).
Though it is not yet clear whether the woman and boy fell or jumped into the gorge, New York State Park Police Capt. Chris Rola said in a news conference Monday that the "investigation is still ongoing at this time, but we don't believe it was an accident."
The Niagara Falls Fire Department and NYSPP responded after receiving reports that the pair had fallen in the Cave of the Winds area of Niagara Falls, Rola said Monday. Rescuers traveled down the Cave of the Winds elevator to reach the fall victims and administered life saving measures.
The boy was stable enough to be brought up the Cave of the Winds elevator and transported to an ambulance, while the deceased woman's body was recovered and airlifted out by the police aviation unit.
"Although today it's nice out, it's very icy down there, so it's real tough terrain that our guys and our girls were able to get through and get to them and provide that life saving care and do everything they could," Rola said about the rescue efforts.
As part of the investigation, police were interviewing several witnesses as well as the woman's husband who was reportedly at the scene.