In 2003, Canadian man Kirk Jones intentionally went over Niagara Falls without a barrel or any approved safety device. He plunged over the Horseshoe Falls, a drop of about 167 feet (51 meters).

Against overwhelming odds, Jones survived. He suffered injuries including bruises, cracked ribs, and other trauma but was able to recover. Authorities later fined him because intentionally going over Niagara Falls is illegal and requires extensive rescue efforts while putting emergency personnel at risk.

Only a handful of people have ever survived going over Niagara Falls, and nearly all did so using specially designed barrels or protective devices. Going over the falls unprotected is considered almost certainly fatal due to the combination of the enormous drop, powerful currents, rocks, and turbulent water.

Jones attempted the feat again in 2017, this time inside a large inflatable ball. The attempt ended tragically, and he died after going over the falls. His body was recovered several weeks later.

Today, Kirk Jones remains one of the very few people known to have survived going over Niagara Falls without a protective barrel, making his 2003 survival one of the most extraordinary incidents in the falls’ history.