not by a long shot.

But they're certainly among the most famous.

Niagara Falls attracts millions of visitors

from around the world every year.

People come for the history,

they come for romance,

they come for the spectacular view!

But some people just can't get close enough...

There are three different waterfalls

that make up Niagara Falls, but,

the one that gets all the attention

is the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

The Canadian Horseshoe Falls

is about 57 m (187 ft) tall,

and 670 m (2,200 ft) wide.

Water rushes over its edge

at a peak speed of 109 km/h (68 mph),

dumping about

2.8 million liters (740,000 gallons)

of water over its edge every second.

Considering its height, its speed,

and its raw, natural power,

it's hard to believe that anyone could

survive a trip over the Falls.

And yet, it's been done several times.

Was it skill?

Or was it luck?

How do you survive a fall into Niagara Falls?

The first person to survive

a trip over Niagara Falls

was Annie Edson Taylor.

In 1921, on her 63rd birthday,

she crawled into an oak and iron barrel,

and floated right over the edge of the Falls.

Taylor performed this stunt

for money and fame, but,

she didn't earn much for her feat.

Nonetheless, daredevils seeking to

follow in her footsteps were not deterred.

In 1928, for example,

Jean Lussier went over Niagara Falls

in a 182 cm (6 ft) rubber and steel ball,

lined with 32 inner tubes.

Lussier survived the fall,

and spent the rest of his life

selling souvenirs to tourists.

Not all the daredevils were

as lucky as Taylor and Lussier.

In fact, of the 16 people who've tried to

"Beat the Falls,"

just a little more than half

have lived to tell the tale.

To date, only five people have survived

an unprotected fall down

the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

The first, and youngest,

was Roger Woodward, in 1960.

He was only 7 years old at the time,

when a boating accident caused him

to be swept overboard,

and over the edge of the Falls.

Woodward was rescued shortly after, and,

made a full recovery,

after spending just three days in the hospital

being treated for a concussion.

Today, that event is still referred to

as the “Miracle at Niagara.”

Most rescuers and experts at Niagara

consider unprotected survival stories

to be blind luck.

But there are some strategies that

might just save your life if,

for any reason,

you find yourself hurtling 109 km/h (68 mph)

in freezing cold water,

towards the edge of a 57 m (187 ft) drop.

The first thing you need to remember,

just before you go over,

is to take a really deep breath.

When you reach the bottom,

there'll be so much water

swirling all around you,

not to mention the

intense pressure of the water

falling from above,

that you could easily suffocate.

So taking a big gulp of air before your fall

could buy you some time.

You'll also want to take precautions

to protect your head.

If you can,

orient yourself so that you fall feet first,

then you'll want to

wrap your arms around your head,

with your elbows over your nose, and,

clench your eyes and mouth shut

as tightly as possible.

In fact, you should tense up all your muscles,

and bring your legs together before impact,

making your body as watertight as possible.

You're already incredibly lucky

if you survive the fall, but,

that doesn't mean your ordeal is over.

The water temperature below the Falls

is around the freezing mark,

which gives you about 15 minutes to

get out of there before hypothermia kicks in.

You'll likely be badly bruised

and terribly disoriented, but,

if you can stay calm and focused,

you might just be one of the lucky few

to survive a fall into Niagara Falls.

Of course, the best way to survive

is to pay attention to the warning signs,

and respect the safety rails.

After all, the Falls are huge!

Do you really need to risk your life

to get a closer look?

Then again, people have survived crazier falls.

Can you believe anyone could

survive falling out of an airplane?

Well, that's a story for another WHAT IF.