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The Man Who Survived Going Over Niagara Falls But Was Killed By An Orange Peel
Bobby Leach was a daredevil who accomplished some truly deadly stunts before being done in by a piece of fruit
The tolerance of some human beings for seeking and experiencing extreme danger can be both extraordinary and terrifying. In some cases, they sail through such peril but are later impacted by the most innocuous of circumstances. Nobody personifies that any better than former professional daredevil Bobby Leach, who survived intentionally going over Niagara Falls in a barrel in 1911, but met his end years later as the result of slipping on an orange peel on the ground.
Leach was born in England in 1858, making his way to the United States as part of the giant wave of immigration during the 19th century. He made a living conducting stunts and other dangerous exhibitions, working as a performer with the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Knowing the money and fame that could be made from pulling off dangerous stunts, Leach, who lived in the Niagara Falls area, had his head full of ideas of what he wanted to do with the powerful waterway as his canvas.
Approximately 3,160 tons of water flow over the edge of Niagara Falls every second. At its high point, the falls are about 170–180 feet above the…
