Following the tragedy which saw a mother and her two children die at Niagara Falls, a similar story has come to light.
As previously reported, 33-year-old Chianti Means allegedly climbed over a safety railing at the park on Luna Island and fell with her children - nine-year-old Roman Rossman and five-month-old Mecca Means.
New York State Police have suggested that the tragic event was likely an "intentional" act.
First responders arrived at Luna Island, a small stretch of land positioned between the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, around 9:00PM on October 28, responding to witness reports of the family near the edge.
A member of the New York State Police spoke to WKBW TV, indicating the investigation points toward an intentional act.
"We do believe it was intentional, but the circumstances of that investigation and the circumstances of what actually happened are still under investigation," the officer said.
"But we know that they went over due to the information from park police and some of the information we were able to obtain through multiple different sources in and around Niagara Falls and pieces of evidence we were able to come across in search warrants."
The officer further emphasized the safety measures in place at the state park. “They went there and they never came out. There are a lot of safety railings, a lot of security measures at the state park, so it’s not something where they just stumbled in.”
This latest tragedy comes just months after another incident near the Falls, when a mother and her five-year-old son fell approximately 90 feet into the Niagara Gorge.
In February 2023, emergency responders rushed to the scene at the Cave of the Winds complex, where they provided life-saving measures to the mother and child, as reported by PEOPLE.
Despite their efforts, the mother did not survive the fall, while her young son, who sustained a head injury, was stabilized and transported to a nearby hospital.
Reflecting on the challenging rescue conditions in last year’s case, New York State Parks Police Captain Chris Rola commended the efforts of the team.
“Although today it’s nice out, it’s very icy down there. It’s a real tough terrain that our guys and our girls were able to get through and get to them and provide that life-saving care and do everything they could," Rola said at the time. “We were going to make every effort for that child that was still alive at the time.”
He also noted the challenges that come with rescues in the Niagara Falls area, explaining: “Niagara Falls is a tough place to perform rescues. The State Park Police, we have a swift water rescue team, we have high angle rope rescue guys that train all the time.
"Niagara Falls fire is great, and as you can see, the state police are a great partner with us, and their aviation crews [are] top-notch.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
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