A family outing at the Niagara Falls State Park turned deadly earlier this week. A mother and her 5-year-old son fell 90 feet into the Niagara Gorge, leaving the mom dead and the son in critical condition. Authorities believe it was not accidental, and the investigation is ongoing.
Authorities are not releasing the names of those involved at this time. This tragic incident took place on Monday, February 13, 2023, near the Cave of the Winds complex.
Chris Rola, a captain for the New York State Park Police, briefed reporters about this situation. He disclosed that first responders worked hard to get a better outcome. "Life-saving measures" were given to both the son and the mother. The son was stabilized and transported to a local hospital, but the mother succumbed to her injuries at the site.
Conditions were not ideal for a rescue operation, but first responders worked through it. "Although today it's nice out, it's very icy down there. It's a real tough terrain that our guy and our girls were able to get through and get to them and provide that life-saving care and do everything they could,” Rola said. "We were going to make every effort for that child that was still alive at the time.”
The husband and boy’s father were with the mother and son at the time of the fall. It is not known what happened before the incident. Investigators are still in the process of interviewing the husband and other witnesses.
"The investigation is ongoing, but we don't believe it is an accident," Rola said.
To learn more about this ongoing case, watch this video.
