Hopes of finding the bodies of a mother who jumped off Niagara Falls and her two kids are dwindling.
Chianti Means, 33, climbed over the safety rail at the New York waterfall with her son, Roman Rossman, nine and five-month-old Mecca and plunged to their deaths. The heartbreaking incident happened on Monday and police are still searching for their bodies using unmanned aircraft, reports the Mirror.
Tourists reportedly watched on in horror as Chianti and her two kids fell to their deaths. Following several days of extensive searching, it’s growing more unlikely that the remains of the three will be found.
Several thousand tons of water pass over the falls each second, with some bodies of jumpers found hundreds of miles away due to the force of the waterfall. Emergency services responded to the park on Luna Island, a small island between the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, at around 9pm on Monday.
A spokesperson for the police said: “On October 28, 2024, at approximately 9:00 PM., 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.
“Investigation determined three individuals, Chianti Means, 33-years-old, Roman Rossman, nine-years-old and Mecca Means, five-months-old all crossed over safety guild rail and went over Niagara Falls on Luna Island. The investigation has determined this incident was intentional in nature, though the circumstances remain under investigation.
“New York State Park Police and State Police search/rescue efforts were conducted with negative results. This incident deems no public threat to safety.” A member of the New York State Police said in an interview with WKBW TV: “They went there and they never came out.
“So that’s where we’re at. […] Like I said there’s a lot of safety railings, a lot of security measures at the state park so it’s not something where they just stumbled in.”
According to the Falls’ website, the three waterfalls never stop flowing due to the strong currents of the 3,160 tonnes of water that flow over the falls every second, even in freezing temperatures.
On Thursday it was revealed Ms Means shared a message on Facebook describing her kids as her “reason to live”. In January 2017, she shared a picture, which read: “I love my son! I gave him life… he gave me a reason to live.”
A friend of Ms Mearns, who is believed to be a domestic violence counsellor, said she is “sick to her stomach” over the terrible news.
Expressing her grief on Facebook, Mich Molina, a friend of the family, said: “I can’t even bear to write a post about her and share memories. I am literally sick to my stomach and I can’t even deal with the emotions I am feeling. Just know her and her children are dearly loved by me and my children.”
Another friend wrote in tribute: “You really never know what anybody is going through…” Writing online, another person said: “This case is so sad!! I wish she would have talked to someone… My heart and prayers go out to all her family and friend.”
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