Local Fisherman Recovers Body of Man who Jumped at Niagara Falls

A routine fishing trip on Lake Ontario turned tragic Monday afternoon when a local fisherman spotted a body floating near the mouth of the Niagara River. The discovery has allowed authorities to make a breakthrough in a recent missing person case tied to Niagara Falls State Park.

The fisherman, trolling near the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Youngstown, noticed the silhouette of a body drifting in the water. He immediately contacted the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office to report the find.

Deputies responded swiftly, and with assistance from the Coast Guard, recovered the body by boat and transported it to shore.

The discovery is believed to be linked to a person who jumped from the Niagara Falls Observation Deck nearly a week earlier. That individual, who has not yet been identified, was the subject of an intensive multi-day search by New York State Park Police using drones, boats, and foot patrols through the Niagara River Gorge. Despite those efforts, the search yielded no results.

While authorities await confirmation on the identity of the body found, Park Police were already responding to a second apparent suicide at the same observation deck at Niagara Falls State Park.

The observation desk is situated at Prospect Point.

That incident occurred just hours before the fisherman made his call, around 12:06pm on June 24th. Emergency responders again deployed a full search operation, but no victim was located.

Law enforcement agencies have not released the names of the individuals involved and investigations into both incidents are ongoing. However, the fisherman’s timely call may have finally provided a vital clue in the first case.

Officials continue to emphasize the importance of mental health support and awareness. Those struggling are urged to contact Niagara County Crisis Services at (716) 285-3515 or the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.

Local Fisherman Recovers Body of Man who Jumped at Niagara Falls