Jean Lussier Traveled over Niagara Falls in a Rubber Ball

Last updated on January 31, 2024 By toniagara

Jean LussierJEAN LUSSIER
1928
(Survived)

On July 4, 1928, Jean Lussier, a 36-year-old man from Springfield, Massachusetts, made history by going over the falls in a rubber ball.

He was the first person to utilize an inflated rubber craft instead of the wooden or steel barrel that had been used till then.

The ball was roughly 6 feet in diameter with inner and outer steel bands. It was lined with 32 inner tubes for shock absorption. There was space in the middle for himself as well as an air cushion.

Hard rubber was used as ballast to keep the ball from spinning. He took the precaution of having oxygen tanks that would provide air for up to 40 hours in case he was trapped underneath the waterfalls.

Lussier’s ball was rowed out to the middle of the Niagara River and cut free about 2 miles upstream from the Horseshoe Falls. The ballast bottom was torn apart from the ball before it reached the crest of the falls.

Surprisingly, Lussier sustained only minor bruising during this stunt.

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