Man Survives Plunge Over Niagara Falls

A man in his late 30s survived a plunge over the Niagara Falls today, the Buffalo News reports. The man jumped into the rapids of the Niagara River, got swept over the 167-foot falls, and somehow stayed afloat in the frigid water below for 40 minutes until being rescued. He is only the third person known to have survived such a plunge without a barrel, and he's being treated for a head injury and hypothermia.

The force of the water apparently stripped him of his clothes on the way down. He did not cooperate with a helicopter rescue, either because he was unwilling or unable, the News notes. The chopper did manage to shoo him closer to shore, however, and a firefighter swam out 50 yards to get him. "It's amazing," said the fire chief. (More Niagara Falls stories.)