Search for the bodies of the mother who jumped from Niagara Falls with her two children

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Police are searching for a woman and her two children who are believed to have crossed Niagra Falls.

According to New York State Police, the 33-year-old mother climbed over a safety railing with her two children, a 9-year-old and a 5-month-old, and intentionally fell over the waterfall.

Police said Wednesday that search and rescue efforts were unsuccessful.

Authorities responded to the park around 9 p.m. Monday and discovered the family had flown over the railing on Luna Island, a small island between American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, which along with Horseshoe Falls make up the popular tourist attraction .

A map of Luna Island:

State police said in a news release: “On October 28, 2024, at approximately 9 p.m., the New York State Park Police and the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, responded to an incident on or around Goat Island in Niagara Falls, NY .

“The investigation revealed that three individuals, Chianti Means, 33 years old, Roman Rossman, 9 years old, and Mecca Means, 5 months old, all from Niagara Falls, NY, crossed the safety railing and continued across Niagara Falls to Luna Island (at Goat Island connected).

“The investigation has determined that this incident was intentional in nature, however the circumstances remain under investigation. Search and rescue operations by the New York State Park Police and the State Police were negative. This incident does not pose a public safety threat.”

Friends of Means posted tributes to the mother of three on Facebook. “You really never know what someone is going through… RIP,” one said.

A member of the New York State Police said in an interview with WKBW TV: “We have concluded that it was a 33-year-old mother, a nine-year-old son and then a five-month-old child.” Waterfalls gone. While we believe it was intentional, the circumstances of this investigation and the circumstances of what actually happened are still under investigation.

“But we know they went over based on information from the Park Police and some information we were able to obtain through various sources in and around Niagara Falls, as well as evidence we were able to find in search warrants.”

“They went there and never came out. So here we are. (…) Like I said, there are a lot of safety rails and security measures in the state park, so they didn't just stumble in.”

According to the Niagara Falls State Park website, Niagara Falls almost never stops flowing completely, even in freezing temperatures, due to its strong currents and the 3,160 tons of water that flow over the falls every second.

The authorities are using unmanned aircraft and underwater units in the investigation.

If you or someone you know needs help, the U.S. National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling 988 or texting.