This article discusses suicide, which some readers may find disturbing.
A mother and her two young children are dead after she crossed the safety guard rail at Niagara Falls on Monday.
According to New York State Police, on October 28 around 9 p.m., authorities were summoned to an incident on Goat Island in Niagara Falls, NY. The report indicated that Chianti Means, 33, Roman Rossman, 9, and Mecca Means, 5-months-old, had crossed over the guard rail on neighboring Luna Island and plunged nearly 200-feet over Niagara Falls.
Investigators determined the act was “intentional in nature.”
Luna Island, located on the New York side of the falls, is one of several popular overlooks. It is also one of the more secluded viewpoints.
New York State Trooper James O’Callaghan said there are still “lot of security measures” on the island, so it wasn’t possible Chianti and her children “just stumbled in.”
“Based on the information we have, we do know it was an intentional act, but the reason why is tougher to answer,” he said.
As of Wednesday, rescuers have yet to locate any of the victims’ bodies.
If you or someone you may know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.