In the summer of 1960, seven-year-old Roger Woodward was just a kid looking forward to a boat ride on the Niagara River to celebrate his sister's birthday—he had no idea he was about to experience something that should have been impossible. When a simple mechanical failure turned their peaceful a...
In the summer of 1960, seven-year-old Roger Woodward was just a kid looking forward to a boat ride on the Niagara River to celebrate his sister's birthday—he had no idea he was about to experience something that should have been impossible. When a simple mechanical failure turned their peaceful afternoon into a nightmare, Roger found himself being swept toward the edge of Niagara Falls, powerless against 750,000 gallons of water rushing past him every second. What followed was a series of moments so improbable, so perfectly timed, that witnesses called it a miracle—from his sister's desperate fight for survival just feet from the brink, to Roger's own journey over a 188-foot waterfall. This is the story of the boy who fell into Niagara Falls and lived, and the ordinary people who became heroes in the most extraordinary circumstances.
Time Stamps:
00:00 Introduction to The Crux True Survival Story Podcast
00:31 Listener's Suggestion: Roger Woodward's Story
01:23 Niagara Falls: A Natural Wonder
02:34 The Fateful Boat Ride
05:49 The Upper Niagara River: A Deceptive Calm
06:47 The Point of No Return
12:06 The Rapids: A Fight for Survival
16:52 Deanne's Rescue
21:23 Roger's Ordeal in the Rapids
22:34 The Calm Before the Plunge
22:53 Facing the Abyss
24:34 Over the Edge
25:07 Rescue by the Maid of the Mist
27:41 Miraculous Survival
29:58 The Aftermath and Media Frenzy
36:17 A Life Beyond the Falls
40:02 Reflecting on Survival and Legacy
42:25 Closing Thoughts and Listener Engagement
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REFERENCES & SOURCES
- "Bonus Episode: The Boy Who Went Over the Falls," Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe podcast, August 16, 2024
- 30th anniversary speech at Glengate Alliance Church, 1990
- "50 years later, survivor recalls accidental plunge over Niagara Falls," Deseret News, July 17, 2010
- "Sean Kirst: Survivor of plunge over Niagara at age 7 recalls terror at the brink," Buffalo News, July 13, 2019
- "'Miracle at Niagara' — 50 years later," Lockport Journal, July 2, 2010
- "Alabama man recalls fall over Niagara Falls 50 years ago," Rapid City Journal, 2010
- "Miracle At Niagara Falls: The Roger Woodward Story," B&B Niagara, July 30, 2017
- "Miracle At Niagara -- 7-Year-Old Survived A Plunge Over The Falls," The Seattle Times, November 26, 1998
- "Roger Woodward - Niagara Falls Miracle, Incidents, Survivor, Story," InfoNiagara.com
- "History of Niagara Falls Daredevils - Roger Woodward," NiagaraFallsInfo.com, February 8, 2017
- "The 7-year-old who survived going over Niagara Falls," INniagararegion, March 31, 2023
- "7-Year-Old Boy Survives Plunge Over Niagara Falls," Go Niagara Tours, July 31, 2025
- "Amazing Story of a Seven-Year-Old who Survived Niagara Falls," The Vintage News, August 11, 2018
- "Roger Woodward and Psalm 139," Words of Hope, April 19, 2021
- "Niagara," The History Channel documentary, 1999
- "Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic," IMAX film
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