On July 9, 1960, teenager Deanna Woodward and her 7-year old brother Roger were in the aluminum boat of family friend James Honeycutt when it capsized in the upper Niagara River and all three went into the water.
Deanna's hand was caught 5 feet from the brink of the falls on the US side by John Hayes, who with John Quattrochis's help, was able to pull her to safety. James Honeycutt was swept over the falls and killed.
Roger, wearing only a life jacket, plunged over the falls and survived, becoming the first person to survive the drop without protection. He had nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises. The Maid of the Mist rescued him from the churning lower river.
He has returned to visit Niagara Falls several times over the decades since, bringing his wife and children to the scene of the accident.
Niagara Falls Public Library. 2017. Niagara Falls - Then & Now: A Photographic Journey Through The Years. [Miracle at Niagara/ Horseshoe Falls].
Niagara Falls Then and Now
A collaborative project
Niagara Falls Museums - Niagara Falls Public Library - Dept. of Geography and Tourism Studies,Brock University.
Original newspaper series by
Sherman Zavitz, Official Historian for the City of Niagara Falls from 1994 - 2019.
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