A man was rescued from the Niagara River after clinging to a branch for hours and he was pulled to safety just 75 yards from the fast-moving falls. New York State Park Police Captain Chris Rola says the water was moving so fast it was actually tearing clothes from him as he clung to the branch. The park police enlisted help from New York State Police, Border Patrol, and the Niagara Falls City Fire Department to rescue the unnamed 59-year-old man.
State Park Police Major Clyde Doty said. “As we were heading toward that spot, we had heard the crowd give a gasp, and we kind of stepped it up a little bit. Then we heard another noise from the crowd, and I saw the individual coming downriver, and I was able to jump in and intercept him.” He says the man was conscious, but not alert because hypothermia had set in.
Authorities are looking into how the man ended up in the water and say he’s being treated at an area hospital.