Daredevil David Munday Conquers Niagara
Title
Daredevil David Munday Conquers Niagara
Creator
Description
John "David" Munday of Caistor Centre, Ontario fixed diesel engines for a living and enjoyed being alone. He also enjoyed the "adrenaline rush" of being a daredevil. He was the first person to survive two plunges over Niagara Falls in self-designed steel barrels.
Munday was 48 years old when he first conquered the Falls on October 5, 1985. His second journey over the Horseshoe Falls and into the international record books took place on September 27, 1993.
Between these two incredible feats, Munday decided to challenge the treacherous currents of the Great Gorge Rapids which feed into dangerous spinning waters of the notorious Whirlpool.
In a less sophisticated 600 pound barrel made of high pressure steel pipe, Munday and his assistants eluded Niagara Parks Police and lowered the barrel into the swift currents of the rapids. His five minute harrowing journey on October 11, 1987 brought him to the Whirlpool.
The world got a little more insight into the motivations and fears of this thrill seeker during a series of reports by WIVB-TV's Rich Newberg. The most amazing revelation was Dave Munday's confession that he is terrified of the water and can't swim.
Munday was 48 years old when he first conquered the Falls on October 5, 1985. His second journey over the Horseshoe Falls and into the international record books took place on September 27, 1993.
Between these two incredible feats, Munday decided to challenge the treacherous currents of the Great Gorge Rapids which feed into dangerous spinning waters of the notorious Whirlpool.
In a less sophisticated 600 pound barrel made of high pressure steel pipe, Munday and his assistants eluded Niagara Parks Police and lowered the barrel into the swift currents of the rapids. His five minute harrowing journey on October 11, 1987 brought him to the Whirlpool.
The world got a little more insight into the motivations and fears of this thrill seeker during a series of reports by WIVB-TV's Rich Newberg. The most amazing revelation was Dave Munday's confession that he is terrified of the water and can't swim.
Date
1987-10
Publisher
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
Rights
Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
Type
Moving Image
Format
video/mp4
Language
Collection
Citation
Newberg, Rich, “Daredevil David Munday Conquers Niagara,” B&ECPL Digital Collections, accessed December 5, 2025, https://digital.buffalolib.org/document/17423.