On September 28th 1989 at 5:30 p.m., DeBernardi and Petkovich both resting head to head inside the barrel began their journey. The barrel was launched two hundred feet from the brink of the Horseshoe Falls. Twenty-five seconds later, the bright yellow barrel with the inscription "Don't Put Yourself On The Edge - Drugs Kill" went over the brink of the Falls and fell to the water below. When recovered by the Maid of the Mist dock both DeBernardi and Petkovich were uninjured. Petkovich had been drinking and got out of the barrel wearing only a neck tie and a pair of cowboy boots.

DeBernardi and Petkovich became the first two persons in a barrel to go over the Falls and the eleventh and twelfth persons to take the plunge."

Now, the drugs bit was especially hilarious if you knew Clyde. If there was a drug out there he hadn't tried, I'd be hard pressed to list it here (including a major chocolate Ex-Lax overdose, which was related to a particular brownie-based prank during a major muchies attack). Clyde was even said to have been on LSD during his ride over Niagara; I never did ask him about that, but let's just say that he was no stranger to El Cid.

Clyde always kept in shape, though. I'm sure he looked good in the boots and tie.

I suppose I should note here that others have been less careful - and less successful. Niagara Falls has a strong Darwinian gravity field, and occasionally it pulls in candidates like these...

Experienced kayaker Jesse Sharp:

"On June 5th 1990, Sharp attempted to ride over the Horseshoe Falls in a twelve foot long, thirty-six pound polyethylene kayak. Jessie Sharp had planned this trip for three years. He brought with him a crew of three persons to video tape his journey into the darkness of the river. Sharp's motive for trying this stunt was to further his career in stunting. Jessie Sharp did not wear any protective helmet so it would not cover his face for the video. He also did not wear a life-preserver because he thought it would hamper his escape if he was caught under the Falls. After going over the Falls, Sharp planned on kayaking through the Great Gorge Rapids through the Whirlpool to the docks at Queenston. Here he had made supper reservations at the Queenston Park Restaurant... Sharp was never seen again nor his body ever been recovered."

Though his red kayak was later found on the Canadian side of Horseshoe Falls, with nothing more than a small dent to show for its troubles. Picutres here.

Even that episode was not nearly as funny as this Wile E. Coyote feat:

"[Robert Overacker] was a 39-year-old graduate of a California stunt school who raced cars at Ventura Raceway. He also sold classic British cars. Friends said he had planned the stunt for seven years. His reason for going over? To draw attention to the homeless. His jet ski was decorated with stickers that said "Save the homeless."

Lesson #1: find out what that California stunt school was. DON'T go there. Here's why:

"12:35 p.m. on October 1st 1995. Riding on a single jet ski, Overacker launched himself into the Niagara River upstream of the Falls from the area of the Canadian Niagara Power Plant. Robert Overacker rode his jet ski directly at the brink of the Horseshoe Falls. At the brink of the Falls, Overacker ignited a rocket propelled parachute that was strapped to his back. His plan was that the rocket would quickly deploy the parachute allowing him to safely land in to river below the Horseshoe Falls where he could be rescued. Overacker did ignite the rocket which deployed the parachute as planned. Unfortunately as the parachute deployed it fell away from Overacker to the ground below. Unknown to Overacker the parachute was not tethered to his body. The parachute was not packed by Overacker prior to the stunt and he was unaware of this fatal error."

Am I a bad person for wanting to see a video?

Oddly, in 2003 Kirk Jones would survive a similar plunge wearing nothing but the shirt on his back. He presumably spent several hours after that in surgery, as docors vainly attempted to remove the huge silver horseshoe from its fixed resting place up his ass.

Fate is fickle - and even Clyde can't top that one.