Niagara Falls search for woman turns up man’s body

A search for a woman who fell over the edge of Niagara Falls at the weekend has instead turned up the body of a man, police have said.


Unidentified human remains of the male turned up in the Lower Niagara River as Canadian emergency services scoured the gorge for a 19-year-old Japanese female student.

The unnamed student is presumed dead following the incident which occurred on Sunday evening.

Police have said that they spotted the body of the man at the base of the falls in an area known as the whirlpool. As of Tuesday morning, the body of the woman has not yet been recovered.

The woman plunged 24 metres into the current after overstepping a safety rail near the Horseshoe Falls which straddles the US–Canadian border.

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According to Niagara Parks Police Chief Doug Kane, the woman was posing for a photograph with an umbrella at a spot known as Table Rock when she lost her balance and fell off the edge.

Police confirmed the incident in a statement, saying: “Two female students from the Toronto area were visiting the falls around Sunday night when one of them climbed onto a railing near the river's edge and sat on a block pillar, with her legs straddling the railing.”

Officials are working with the Japanese consulate to notify her family.

Police regard the incident as an accident, stating that there was no foul play involved.

The man's death did not appear related to the Japanese student's accidental death, police also said.

His body is now with Canadian authorities who are working with the coroner’s office to identify the unknown person.