Since the 19th century, Niagara Falls has been both a natural wonder and a site of tragedy, with numerous people losing their lives after going over its powerful cascades. Some deaths were accidental—tourists slipping, boaters caught in the current, or people falling from observation points—while others were deliberate acts of suicide. Despite safety measures, the immense force of the water makes survival extremely rare, though a handful of people, like schoolteacher Annie Edson Taylor in 1901, survived attempts to go over the falls in barrels or other contraptions. The majority, however, perished, and their deaths have contributed to Niagara’s reputation as both a place of awe and somber reflection.