Woman dead, man missing following drowning incident in Niagara River
A woman has died and a man is missing after he was swept away by the swirling rapids in the Niagara Gorge, Sunday.
Niagara Regional Police said a group of friends from the Toronto area had been hiking in the Niagara Glen at about 5 p.m. when a man and woman, both in their 20s, went into the water.
When the woman began having trouble in the current, the male attempted to assist her. He disappeared in the fast-moving current.
A bystander, who was not part of the group of friends, saw the woman struggling and entered the water. He pulled her on shore and began CPR, said Niagara Parks Police Chief Paul Forcier.
Parks Police, as well as members of Niagara Falls Fire Department and paramedics with the Niagara Emergency Medical Services, descended the gorge and continued resuscitation efforts.
The woman was transferred by Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours to a waiting ambulance at the Queenston docks.
Bryce Brunarski, superintendent of public relations with Niagara EMS, said the woman was transported to a local hospital in life-threatening condition.
She subsequently died of her injuries.
Parks Police, the NRP marine unit, the United States coast guard and the Canadian Coast Guard conducted shoreline searches for the male into the night.
Whirlpool Jet Boat Tourss and a helicopter from Erie County Sheriff's Office also searched the area.
The NRP marine unit returned to the area early Monday and continued to search for the missing man.
They will commence a shoreline search from the mouth of the Niagara River in Niagara-on-the-Lake and then travel south towards the Sir Adam Beck Hydro Generating Station in that area and a little further south," Const. Phil Gavin said Monday morning.
The Niagara Glen, a popular trail system and bouldering area, is a four-kilometre-long trail system that features short paths and rugged, steep and winding trails overlooking the Niagara River.
Large electronic signs at the entrance to the glen warns visitors swimming is not allowed. Signs are also posted along trails.
A Toronto teenager had to be rescued last June after he fell into the river. The 16-year-old was able to grab hold of a large boulder and pull himself out of the water.
He was pulled from the rock by the Niagara Parks Police high-angle river team, with the assistance of Niagara Helicopters.
Two days later, a 19-year-old St. Catharines man climbed on a rock to take photos and fell into the rapids. His body was never found.
Alison Langley is a St. Catharines-based reporter for the Niagara Falls Review. Reach her via email: alison.langley@niagaradailies.com