Hiker swept away by Niagara River
First responders, helicopter company search for 19-year-old St. Catharines man
A 19-year-old St. Catharines man is missing after he slipped and fell into the fast moving waters of the Niagara River at the Niagara Glen Monday evening.
Niagara Regional Police said the man was hiking with three friends at about 7 p.m. when he climbed on a rock to take photos and slipped and fell into the river.
That area of the river, police said, is very fast flowing with a strong current.
Emergency teams from both sides of the border, including Niagara Parks Police, Canada Coast Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard, scoured the area for several hours before calling off the search.
Helicopters with Erie County Sheriff’s Office and Canadian Forces Base Trenton also participated in the search.
Members of Niagara Falls Fire Department conducted shorebased searches throughout the evening and again on Tuesday.
“Our crews were split up with parks police staff to walk the shores from one end of the glen to the other end to try to find the individual but, unfortunately, they did not,” fire Chief Jim Boutilier said Tuesday afternoon.
The man’s identity has not been released.
The NRP marine unit conducted searches on the river Tuesday and Niagara Parks Police and Niagara Helicopters conducted aerial-based searches of the area.
Anyone who may have witnessed this incident or was in the area at the time is asked to call 905-688-4111, ext. 2200.
This is the second time in less than 48 hours that emergency personnel were called to the gorge for a rescue.
At about 1 p.m. Saturday, Niagara Parks Police were called to the area of the lower Niagara River gorge following the report of a 16-year-old male in distress in the swift waters near the whirlpool.
During the rescue, a Niagara Falls firefighter was swept downstream.
The firefighter, who was wearing a helmet and personal flotation devices, was subsequently picked up by the NRP marine unit and taken to the Queenston Heights dock where he was transferred to an ambulance and then taken to hospital.
“It was a scary situation for that individual as well as for the crews that were involved,” Boutilier said.
“It was a scary situation for that individual as well as for the crews that were involved.”
JIM BOUTILIER
NIAGARA FALLS FIRE CHIEF
“He went to hospital to get checked out to make sure everything was OK and he’s at home now, resting, relaxing and spending time with his family.”
Boutilier said the firefighter is expected to return to work soon. Firefighters, he added, are trained in swift-water rescues.
The teenager stranded on the rock, a Toronto resident, was airlifted by the Niagara Parks Police high-angle river team, with the assistance of Niagara Helicopters. The teen was taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
The fire department urges people who visit the Niagara Glen to stay on marked trails and to stay away from the water.