For decades, thrill-seekers have fought the odds and common sense by going over the world’s most famous waterfalls in rickety containers—a trip that has claimed several lives.
1. 63-Year-Old Takes the Plunge
The strange custom of going down Niagara Falls in a barrel began with an elderly music and dance teacher named Annie Edson Taylor. Hoping the stunt would make her rich and famous, she had a customized unit made which included safety straps and a breathing tube. On October 24, 1901—her 63rd birthday—her preparation paid off when she survived her trip, only to wait 20 gut-wrenching minutes for a rescue boat to nab the contraption. Unfortunately, she achieved neither fame nor fortune and died penniless in 1921.
