Robert Overacker
DAREDEVIL FIFTEEN

In July of 1992 Bob Overacker, a California native who had lived in New Jersey as a young man came to Niagara Falls hoping to drive a jet ski over the falls. His idea was to gain enough speed at the brink to project his jet ski far enough away from the grasp of the churning rapids. He would then release a parachute that he had attached to his life jacket and slowly drift to the rapids below.

When a stunter makes a decision to perform something of this magnitude he usually puts a lot of careful thought and planning into it. Robert Overacker was no different. He had made many calculations and planned his strategy well. However there was one issue he failed to take into consideration.

The Niagara Parks Commission will not agree to such stunts and anyone caught doing so is promptly arrested. Robert Overacker knew about this and he thought that by attempting his ride early in the morning he would avoid the throngs of spectators and thus possible arrest by the Parks Police.

However the one thing that Robert did not take into account was that much of the water is diverted to hydroelectric plants through the night, making navigation difficult due to exposed rocks. Frustrated, Overacker decided to abandon his attempt.…for the time being.

In September 1995 Robert Overacker once again returned from California to Niagara Falls with a trailer containing his Kawasaki. On the side of his jet ski were the words “save the homeless”, a cause that Overacker was dedicating his trip to. On October 1st with the help of some friends, Overackers’ jet ski was towed to the upper Niagara River near Dufferin Islands.

His friends, including a half brother had positioned themselves at a strategic point where they would be able to videotape the whole event. Robert Overacker was last seen saluting the spectators as his jet ski careened over the brink. Moments later he was spotted in the churning rapids below.

At first it seemed that he had survived the plunge, but the rapids have a strange way of flailing a corpses’ arms around, often giving the appearance of a person swimming. Robert Overacker was later retrieved from the water, taken to Niagara General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.