By 1989, plenty of people had challenged Niagara Falls alone.
But two men from Ontario decided one person wasn’t enough.
On September 27, 1989, Peter DeBernardi, 42, from Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Jeffrey Petkovich, 24, from Ottawa, became the first people to go over Niagara Falls together in the same barrel.
Their barrel wasn’t a simple wooden drum.
It was a converted 12-foot tank equipped with hammocks, seat belts, plexiglass windows, and even an interior video camera. Despite its size, the entire thing weighed only about 300 pounds.
Inside, the two men prepared themselves for the plunge over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
Then they disappeared over the edge.
Moments later, the barrel resurfaced near the Canadian shoreline, where members of their ground crew managed to snag it from the river.
The hatch opened.
Out came DeBernardi and Petkovich, bruised, shaken, but largely unharmed.
Both refused medical treatment.
Niagara Parks Police were waiting for them shortly afterward.
Unlike many daredevils before them, DeBernardi and Petkovich claimed their stunt had a message.
They said they wanted to encourage young people to stay away from drugs.
“To fight drugs, there’s a lot better things for kids to do than be on the brink of dope,” they explained. “Go over the brink of the Falls — you’ll see what a high is all about.”
It was one of the strangest anti-drug campaigns Niagara Falls had ever seen.
For Peter DeBernardi, one successful plunge wasn’t enough.
The following summer, on August 15, 1990, he attempted something no one had ever done before — going over the American Falls.
But before he could even begin, U.S. border agents stopped him as he tried entering Niagara Falls, New York, with a flatbed truck carrying a massive yellow donut-shaped barrel.
His attempt ended before it started.
DeBernardi was deported and told not to return to the United States for five years.
The American Falls would remain unconquered.
Standing beside Horseshoe Falls, it’s difficult to imagine two people willingly climbing into the same barrel and heading toward the edge.
Stories like this remind visitors that Niagara Falls has always inspired people to test limits, chase attention, and attempt things most would never consider.
And sometimes, the stories after the stunt become just as memorable as the stunt itself.
Niagara Falls is more than a photo stop.
It’s a place filled with incredible stories, strange moments, and larger-than-life characters that most visitors never hear about.
On our Niagara Falls tours, you’ll experience the history, the viewpoints, and the stories that bring this world-famous destination to life.
Best Niagara Falls tour in Canada for 20 years.
