A mother from upstate New York intentionally jumped into Niagara Falls with her two young children, including a 5-month-old baby, state police said Wednesday, October 30.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. on Monday, October 28, when officials with the New York State Park Police and New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation were called to an area near Goat Island, between Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls.
A subsequent investigation determined that three individuals — 33-year-old Chaianti Means, 9-year-old Roman Rossman and 5-month-old Mecca Means, all of upstate Niagara Falls — had gone over a safety guardrail and “went over Niagara Falls on Luna Island,” located just off the north side of Goat Island.
New York State Trooper James O’Callaghan confirmed Wednesday the woman was the mother of the two kids. He said the family of the victims was being very cooperative with investigators.
While the circumstances surrounding the suspected jump remain under investigation, authorities said they believe it was “intentional in nature.”
Search-and-rescue teams — including park police unmanned aircraft and marine patrol, and New York State Police aviation and underwater recovery units — had been working to locate the three victims since the night of the incident, law enforcement said. Recovery efforts had been unsuccessful as of Wednesday evening.
The Niagara Falls Police Department and Niagara Charter Schools are also assisting in the investigation, officials said. The incident doesn’t pose a safety threat to the public
