America, 1930. George Stathakis, was a Greek immigrant who lived permanently in Buffalo, New York and worked as chef, but it seems that was not enough for him.
He was eagerly looking for a way to get in the spotlight and get the spotlight on him. So one fine day he made the brave but somewhat daring decision to fall into Niagara Falls locked in a barrel.
In fact, in his venture he did not intend to be alone. He took with him his favorite turtle, which he called "Sonny".
The idea was relatively simple. He would make a special barrel, go in and fall into them Niagara waterfalls.
This event alone was able to gather journalists but also ordinary people at the place where they would take place. After all, Niagara Falls attracted millions of visitors each year, and among them were several stuntmen and magicians who wanted to prove that they could fool death by letting the rushing waters of Niagara seduce them.
Some did, others did not. George Stathakis had the same idea that day.
In fact, he believed that with the income that such a risky fall would bring him, he could publish a book on metaphysical experiences.
Thus, on July 5, 1930, the 46-year-old man carried out the daring venture. It was the event of the day that made headlines even in the New York Times.
The barrel and the fall
With the help of some of his friends, he managed to make a specialist barrel made of wood and steel and despite the warnings of experts that it was too big and heavy - it weighed almost a ton - decided to proceed normally in the fall.
In the highly durable barrel, it would be tied to a special layer of springs to prevent vibration.
Also, while there was room for extra oxygen cylinders, the adventurous Cretan chef only got one. According to reports at the time, he had no problem dying and becoming a "sacrifice" to the beauty of the waterfalls. So he went in, greeted those present and his assistants sealed the door.
He took with him his pet, a turtle named Sonny, who, according to him, was 150 years old.
At 2:30 pm on Saturday, July 5, 1930 the barrel with George Stathakis in it falls into the rushing waters of Niagara. Many people watched this dive with bated breath, waiting for it to reappear after the fall.
As the rushing waters drag Stathakis' improvised boat to his brim waterfall, the agony peaks. The fall is heavy and lasts only a few seconds, however, with the landing of the barrel something tragic happens. He is trapped behind waterfalls making it impossible for his assistants to approach and free him.
He survives the fall, but can not open the door to get out. The battle with steel and thick wood is unequal. Eight hours later, George Stathakis dies of suffocation.
The last seconds of the video show the moment when people open the barrel, freeing the surviving turtle. However, the spot where they discover the body of the 46-year-old has been cut.
Another YouTube video shows the inside of the barrel now part of the Niagara Daredevil Exhibit. The scratches on the walls testify to the battle he fought with death.
The glorious end of suffocation
Stathakis was found, but he was dead from suffocation. But his turtle remained alive.
One of the screws of the hatch had loosened, water had entered the barrel, but Stathakis had already drowned due to lack of oxygen and due to the hours he had left in the barrel.
A Buffalo coal worker who made the barrel later told reporters they tried to persuade him to get another bottle of oxygen but he said one was enough for three hours.
"… If I do not go out in three hours then there will be no reason to continue living anyway," he reportedly said.
It is said that George Stathakis had -previously- prophesied his death and had written in a local newspaper that "he was ready to make a sacrifice in Niagara".
He described a text he had read as a young man, ending by saying: "Gods of Niagara, be prepared on July 5 to receive your faithful follower and lover of your beauty and mystery. And if you hold me captive forever, accept my sacrifice in the hope that the divine nymphs will sprinkle my grave with flowers from the garden of your palace. "
It is worth noting that a woman, American teacher Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to fall with barrel waterfalls and survive.
The operation took place on October 24, 1901 at the age of 63.