A photograph of a couple posing near Niagara Falls has recently gained attention online once again.
To the uninitiated, it might just appear to be a charming picture of two individuals, one of whom is wearing a Batman replica shirt. However, the story behind it is far more unsettling.
Let’s take a look back to 14 August 2011.
On this day, Japanese student Ayano Tokumasu, along with her classmates from the Hansa Language Centre in Toronto, visited the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. She posed for a photograph her friend was taking and, in an attempt to get a more compelling shot, she decided to sit on the safety barrier.
Police reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby visitor center and observed the sequence of events. The 20-year-old was holding an umbrella while seated on the arm rail with one leg on each side, gazing down at the falls. When she tried to climb back over the railing, she seemingly lost her balance and slipped into the water at the edge of the Horseshoe Falls, plunging into the water below.
Four days later, Tokumasu’s body was found floating on the New York side of the lower Niagara River by staff at Cave of the Winds, a park attraction.
Niagara Parks Police Chief Doug Kane commented at the time: “We have received information from the State Parks Police confirming that the found remains from yesterday are those of the missing student that fell into the river last Sunday.”
Though her family chose not to speak publicly about the tragedy, Masaya Otsuka, a diplomat at the Japanese consulate-general in Toronto, spoke on their behalf.
Otsuka told the Toronto Star: “Of course, this is a big tragedy for the family, too.
“The family is receiving a big shock.”
According to her Facebook profile, Tokumasu was from Toyohashi, located about 250 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, Japan’s capital city.
Unfortunately, Tokumasu was not the last person to lose their life after going over the falls. In 2017, Kirk Jones died on the U.S. side of Niagara Falls after attempting to descend in an inflatable ball. He had previously survived the falls without any aid on 22 October 2003, making him the first person to do so. Despite his earlier success, his 2017 attempt ended in tragedy when he fell out of the ball and died in the process.