Man survives plunge over Canada's Niagara Falls

Toronto - A "smiling" man survived a 150-foot plunge over the fast-flowing Niagara Falls, and police said on Tuesday that the unusual case was still under investigation.

The man, who has not been identified, is believed to be the first person to survive a drop over the falls without any life jacket or flotation device.

Dare devils have braved the drop in barrels and boats -- a now-illegal practice that leads to heavy fines.

"The man went over on the Canadian side, right at the brink of Horseshoe Falls," said Inspector Paul Forcier, of Niagara Parks police.

He said the man's name might be released later on Tuesday.

Eyewitnesses told local media that the man appeared to climb over a wrought iron barrier on Monday afternoon to reach the falls.

"He walked over to where we were standing and he jumped and slid down on his backside and went over the brink," the Globe and Mail newspaper quoted eyewitness Lynda Satelmajer as saying. "It was really freaky, actually. He was smiling."

The paper said the man disappeared under the water for about four minutes, before reemerging 100 meters downstream. He declined the offer of help from a Maid of the Mist tour boat and swam to shore, the Globe and Mail said.

Witnesses were amazed to see the man had not died.

"We figured that's what it would be, it would be a body, because we figured it was no way anybody could survive," Terry McMullen, who was vacationing with his wife, told CNN television.

The man, who could face a fine of C$10,000 ($7,500) for breaking regulations, was handcuffed and taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The Horseshoe Falls straddle the Canadian-United States border between Ontario and New York State. They are slightly lower than the American Falls, which are on the U.S. side of the border, but the volume of water is higher.

Large rocks line the base of the falls, and the man also avoided dangers like strong currents and a vicious undertow.

A local tourist Web site estimates that more than 600,000 gallons of water flows over the American and Canadian falls each second.

The city of Niagara Falls describes itself as the honeymoon capital of the world, and the falls attract more than 10 million tourists a year. -- Associated Press

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