Bobby Leach deliberately went over Niagara Falls in a specially designed barrel. He survived the terrifying stunt, but years later, an ordinary accident involving fruit ultimately cost him his life.

On July 25, 1911, Leach climbed into a specially reinforced barrel and was pushed into the Niagara River above the falls. He plunged over the massive waterfall and disappeared into the turbulent water below.

Remarkably, rescuers found him alive.

Leach had suffered serious injuries, including broken bones and a badly damaged jaw, but he survived the stunt and became internationally famous. He was actually the second person known to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel, following Annie Edson Taylor’s successful attempt in 1901.

But his eventual death came from something far less dramatic. Years later, while traveling in New Zealand, Leach reportedly slipped on an orange peel and seriously injured his leg. The injury became infected, eventually developing into gangrene.

Doctors were forced to amputate his leg, but the infection continued to cause complications.

Leach died in 1926, at the age of 73.

The irony is almost unbelievable. He cheated death at Niagara Falls—and was defeated by an orange peel.