How To Survive a Waterfall Plunge Using Science

Plus more stories from Pop Mech Pro [View in Browser]( [Image]( COURTESY U.S. AIR FORCE How To Survive a Waterfall Plunge Using Science We asked the experts what exactly it is about the falls that kills you—and what tips By: Rob Goodier On August 14, 2011, when a Japanese student slipped off a guardrail above Horseshoe Falls, Niagara's postcard waterfall, she plunged 180 feet. While searching for her the next day, authorities found the body of another victim of the falls, an unidentified man. Despite the multiple reports during that deadly summer (and the fact that accidentally going over a waterfall makes for good movie drama), the odds of accidentally going over are remote. But could you somehow improve your chances of surviving a plunge over a waterfall like Niagara? Six million cubic feet of water rush over the falls every minute during peak daytime hours (upriver dams change the volume). The rapids above the falls are clocked at 25 mph, and up to 68 mph over the brink. "I can't think of any way to survive that except luck," says Malcolm Cooper, chairman of the Hawaii Masters Swimming Association. He grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., and knows Niagara well. "Basically, you're going to hit rocks." This is a free preview of Pop Mech Pro. Join now for less than $1 a week to read the rest of the story and more of Popular Mechanics' most in-depth, exclusive features. [JOIN NOW]( AVIATION [READ NOW]( Meet the DC-4 and the Arrival of Commercial Aviation HOW-TO [READ NOW]( How to Build Your Own Redwood Planter Boxes MYSTERIES [READ NOW]( The Real Story of Oak Island's Money Pit Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Notice]( PopularMechanics.com ©2021 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019