New England Waterfalls

LIST OF WATERFALL & SWIMMING HOLE DEATHS



Huntington Gorge deaths sign

The purpose of this page to encourage folks to understand the dangers and risks of visiting waterfalls and swimming holes throughout New England. A certain level of risk is assumed whenever you visit wild and natural places like waterfalls and swimming holes, and so I encourage all travelers to spend time reading everything on this page. You should understand the typical causes of injury and death, and the frequency of incidents at specific waterfalls. One of the ideas here is to learn from the mistakes and misfortunes experienced by others.

Despite the dangers that are often present, I still feel strongly that waterfalls and swimming holes should always remain OPEN to the public. People should be allowed to make their own risk-assessments. If you think about it, hundreds of thousands of people visit waterfalls and swimming holes each year without incident. and closing down such special places in the spirit of ultra-conservatism would be a true shame. With all natural areas, public benefit should always be weighed against public risk. It is obviously a tragedy whenever a fatality occurs at a waterfall or swimming hole, but we must always remember the pure joy and sense of adventure that these places will safely bring to thousands of others in the future.

I am a supporter of banning alcohol (and enforcing that rule) at the most popular swimming hole sites, especially those that offer cliff-jumping. Cliff-jumping and alcohol just don't mix well, for obvious reasons. Alcohol also tends to attract a specific crowd, and that can lead to problems-not only with injuries and accidents, but also with trash and broken glass being left behind.

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LIST OF WATERFALL/SWIMMING HOLE DEATHS



Here is a list of all known waterfall and swimming hole-related fatalities in New England. If you know of any other such deaths, please send me an email at gparsons66@hotmail.com so that I can add them to this list. My goal is to try to keep this list as complete and up-to-date as possible.

WATERFALL
STATE YEAR VICTIM AGE NOTES
Arethusa Falls NH 1946 William C. Jones 18 fell off the top of the falls
Arethusa Falls NH 1982 Richard Willis 27 slipped near the top of the falls
Arethusa Falls NH 1995 Philip Sprague 37 fell off the top or near the top of the falls
Arethusa Falls NH 2020 unknown ???? fell off the top of the falls (9-26-2020)
Bartlett Falls VT 2013 Steven Orvis 26 he was swimming a few hundred feet downstream when a flash flood occurred
Bash Bish Falls MA ???? unknown ???? "at least three fatalities in the 1960s" per the Berkshire Eagle
Bash Bish Falls MA ???? unknown ???? "at least three fatalities in the 1960s" per the Berkshire Eagle
Bash Bish Falls MA ???? unknown ???? "at least three fatalities in the 1960s" per the Berkshire Eagle
Bash Bish Falls MA ???? Aiden Campion-Pratt 21 "slipped off a rock in the falls"
Bingham Falls VT 2018 Timothy Ferguson 21 3/02/2018; "slipped on the ice-covered ground near the upper gorge"
Bingham Falls VT 1996 unknown ???? no other information known
Bingham Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "at least 3 death at Bingham Falls through 2018" per stowetoday.com
Bingham Falls VT 2020 Daniel Davis 36 one of two peole that slipped into the falls/pool (9/23/2020)
Bolton Potholes VT 2011 Bentley Siefer 12 no other information known
Bolton Potholes VT 2022 Cody Surprise 21 May 2022
Bolton Potholes VT 2023 Samuel Paprin 20 July 4, 2023
Bolton Potholes VT ???? unknown ???? "five deaths at Bolton Potholes since 1985"
Bolton Potholes VT ???? unknown ???? "five deaths at Bolton Potholes since 1985"
Bolton Potholes VT ???? unknown ???? "five deaths at Bolton Potholes since 1985"
Bolton Potholes VT ???? unknown ???? "five deaths at Bolton Potholes since 1985"
Clarendon Gorge-Upper Falls VT ???? unknown ???? there are rumors of at least 1 death here; no other info available
Cloudland Falls NH 2008 Shu Qin 28 a rock fell off the face of the waterfall and struck Shu
Doane's Falls MA 1991 Brian Lanou 18 no other information known
Doane's Falls MA 1988 Dean Bastarache 19 19-year old male from Gardner, Massachusetts
Doane's Falls MA 1989 Lloyd Newton 16 male victim was from Athol, Massachusetts
Doane's Falls MA 2002 unknown 44 male victim was from Orange, Massachusetts
Dog's Head Falls VT ???? unknown ???? there are rumors of at least 1 death here; no other info available
Enders Falls CT 2013 Amanda Monington 15 6/01/2013
Franconia Falls NH 1976 Timothy Williams 18 8/15/1976
Franconia Falls NH 2003 unknown 39 October 2003
Franconia Falls NH 2015 Julia Hassan 17 8/11/2015
Franconia Falls NH 2017 Daniel Matthews 38 07/10/2017; victim was from Northborough, Massachusetts
Franconia Falls NH 2023 Melissa Bagley 44 8/15/2023; she died trying to save her son (who was ultimately rescued)
Hamilton Falls VT 2016 Tyler Rosenberg 17 8/25/2016
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Hamilton Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "twelve deaths on Cobb Brook since 1985" per one source
Huntington Gorge VT 1950 Marjorie G. Goeltz 21 of Verona, New Jersey
Huntington Gorge VT 1961 William B. Hackett 16 a varsity football player at Burlington High School; June 29, 1961
Huntington Gorge VT 1969 Brian J. Graham 20 of Birmingham, Michigan
Huntington Gorge VT 1969 Robert E. Grady 19 of Colorado Springs, Colorado; May 30, 1969
Huntington Gorge VT 1969 Daniel John McLeod 19 of Waterbury, Vermont; August 20, 1969
Huntington Gorge VT 1971 Robert Swift 21 of Wayland, Massachusetts; broke his neck on 6/22 and died a few weeks later
Huntington Gorge VT 1972 Robert Kaehl 25 of Baldwin, New York; July 2, 1972
Huntington Gorge VT 1973 Terry Horrigan 23 while crossing at the top, he slipped and fell, landing in the middle bowl
Huntington Gorge VT 1973 Dennis McCloskey 19 of Westfield, New Jersey; drowned Aug. 5, 1973
Huntington Gorge VT 1975 Rosemary H. Cadin 22 5/20/1975; she was a senior at St. Michael's College; resident of Camillus, NY
Huntington Gorge VT 1976 Michael Chicoine 22 of Burlington, Vermont; June 8, 1976
Huntington Gorge VT 1976 Carol Bertrand 21 boyfriend of Charles French, who also died the same day; July 10, 1976
Huntington Gorge VT 1976 Charles French 24 he died trying to save his girlfriend (Carol), who also died the same day
Huntington Gorge VT 1983 Sally Corsiglia 21 a St. Michael's College student; June 15, 1983
Huntington Gorge VT 1985 Carathray M. Laffoon 18 of Burlington, Vermont; a UVM student; July 28, 1976
Huntington Gorge VT 1985 Scott Sweeney 18 of Burlington, Vermont; July 23, 1985
Huntington Gorge VT 1992 Kevin Brown 21 of Essex, Vermont; a Champlain College student; May 8, 1992
Huntington Gorge VT 1992 Sgt. Gary Gaboury 35 of Bennington, VT; May 12, 1992; died while trying to retrieve Brown's body
Huntington Gorge VT 1994 Cathy J. Williams 36 of Winooski, Vermont; May 31, 1994
Huntington Gorge VT 1994 Peter Fatovich 32 of Bolton, Vermont; June 14, 1994
Huntington Gorge VT 1996 James F. Kirk 44 of Burlington, Vermont; May 22, 1996; died after falling off a rock ledge
Huntington Gorge VT 1997 Michael Moverman 16 of Merrick, New York; July 15, 1997
Huntington Gorge VT 2003 Jennifer Levine 40 of Colchester, Vermont; July 8, 2003
Huntington Gorge VT 2005 Ivy Marcella 19 of Edgarton, Massachusetts; a UVM student; June 21, 2005
Huntington Gorge VT 2015 Elanie Santor 22 July 5, 2015
Huntington Gorge VT 2023 Katie Hartnett 25 slipped and fell into the river on July 14, 2023
Huntington Gorge VT ???? unknown ???? "26 deaths as of July 2015" per one source
Lady's Bathtub NH 2017 Marielle E. Olsen 36 5/17/2017; East Branch of the Pemigewasset River; 46-degree water temp
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH ???? unknown ???? "15 deaths as of 2018, mostly due to cliff-jumping downstream"
Livermore Falls NH 2017 Saige M. Bradbury 24 of Bellingham, Massachusetts; hit a rock ledge while cliff-jumping; 9/4/2017
Lower Falls NH 2010 Dale Morris 55 10/16/2010; victim was from Soldotna, Alaska
Lower Falls NH 2010 Camille Morris 58 10/16/2010; victim was from Soldotna, Alaska
Lower Falls NH 2013 Siphal Hak 60 7/02/2013; victim was from Lowell, MA
Lower Falls NH 2011 Hardik Shah 31 10/01/2011
Moss Glen Falls-Granville VT 1974 Paul ???? 22 no other information known
Moss Glen Falls-Granville VT 1975 Lisa ???? 14 no other information known
Moss Glen Falls-Granville VT ???? unknown ???? there are rumors of a 3rd death here; no other information available
Moss Glen Falls-Stowe VT ???? unknown ???? there are rumors of 2 deaths here; no other information available
Moss Glen Falls-Stowe VT ???? unknown ???? there are rumors of 2 deaths here; no other information available
Moxie Falls ME 2005 Garth Coon 39 7/29/2005; victim fall over the 90-foot tall falls
Pitcher Falls NH 2015 Steven Marshall 29 fell at or near the top of Pitcher Falls (which is beside Champney Falls)
Profile Falls NH 2016 Thai M. Chinh 39 8/29/2016
Race Brook Falls MA 2013 Benjamin Lewis 28 of Newark, Delaware
Sabbaday Falls NH 2010 Wilfred Chalut 64 slipped near the falls, which were under high water conditions
Silver Cascade NH 1996 unknown ???? no other information known
Smalls Falls ME 2022 Tanisha Barry 29 5/7/2022; she slipped from a pool above the falls
Twin Falls VT 2003 Davis Hemingway 16 no other information known
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Twin Falls VT ???? unknown ???? "22 deaths since the 1940s" per one source
Upper Ammonoosuc Falls NH 2014 William Glad 37 8/01/2014
Upper Ammonoosuc Falls NH ???? unknown ???? there are rumors of many more deaths here, but I have no specific information on any of them; I would have to visit a local library and look at microfilm to find the news stories
Upper Purgatory Falls NH 2015 Dorie Goldman 50 1/25/2015; victim slipped on ice and fall into the falls
Wahconah Falls MA 2008 James Hoffman 34 victim was from Pittsfield, MA; 6/13/2008
Wahconah Falls MA ???? Brian Keyes ???? no other information known

TOP 5 MOST DANGEROUS WATERFALLS IN NEW ENGLAND



Here are the five most dangerous waterfalls in New England. The danger potential at these five waterfalls is very high, especially during moderate or high water level conditions.
  • HUNTINGTON GORGE, VT - at least 27 DEATHS
  • TWIN FALLS, VT - at least 22 DEATHS; most deaths are related to swimming or falling into its middle pool
  • HAMILTON FALLS, VT - at least 12 DEATHS; most deaths are related to swimming or falling into its upper pool
  • UPPER AMMONOOSUC FALLS, NH - unknown # of DEATHS, but it is likely to be a half-dozen or more; most deaths occur in the pothole that the falls dump directly into
  • BOLTON POTHOLES, VT - at least 6 DEATHS
I personally do not feel comfortable swimming in any of the following areas, and I strongly encourage you to adopt the same attitude towards these high-risk places:
  • BOLTON POTHOLES, VT - I would never jump into, or swim in, its upper pool; the lower and middle pools can also be dangerous in high-water conditions
  • DOANE'S FALLS, MA - I would never jump into, or swim in, any pool here; this place is just far too dangerous; it is also illegal to swim here
  • FRANCONIA FALLS, NH - I would never jump into, or swim in, the pool below the main falls if the water levels are moderate or higher
  • HAMILTON FALLS, NH - I would never jump into, or swim in, the pool above the top of the falls
  • HUNTINGTON GORGE, VT- I would never jump into, or swim in, any pool here; this whole place is just far too dangerous
  • LIVERMORE FALLS, NH - I would never do any of the cliff-jumping that exists downstream of the falls (e.g. Pumpkin Seed Bridge)
  • MOXIE FALLS, ME - I would never jump into, or swim in, any pools above the falls
  • TWIN FALLS, VT - I would never jump into, or swim in, any pool here; this whole place is just far too dangerous
  • UPPER AMMONOOSUC FALLS, NH - I would never swim in the pool/pothole directly below the main waterfall
Any waterfall or swimming hole in New England can be dangerous. Just because I haven't listed them here doesn't mean that they are safe. The above list merely represents the MOST dangerous ones.

MOST COMMON CAUSES OF DEATH



There are several ways people run into trouble at waterfalls and swimming holes. You should be aware of all of these to ensure your own safety:
  • Diving into shallow water
  • Cliff-jumping or rope-swinging into shallow water
  • Slipping on wet rocks or wet ledge while preparing to do a cliff-jump
  • Slipping on ice and falling into a waterfall, pool or into the stream itself
  • Cliff-jumping and hitting ledges or rocks on the way down
  • Swimming or wading in a pool above a waterfall and then getting pushed downstream over the waterfall by strong currents
  • Slipping on the edge of a waterfall or stream
  • Entering a stream where the currents are too strong, and then getting swept downstream
  • Getting pushed by currents down to the bottom of a pool, where even strong swimmers can not get themselves out
  • Getting pushed up against debris within a pool or stream (i.e. a cluster of fallen trees)
  • Getting pushed under or against an overhanging lip or ledge within a pool
  • Jumping in to try to save another person who is drowning
Generally speaking, it is unwise to swim in any pool above a waterfall. Many people have died by slipping while getting into or out of such pools. Cliff-jumping and rope-swinging are also high-risk propositions.

Pets are also at risk at waterfalls and swimming holes. I always recommend having pets on leash at all times at these places. Several pets have died in New England waterfalls and swimming holes over the years.

There is also a risk of slipping and falling on your hike to a waterfall or swimming hole. Always watch your footing, and consider avoiding hiking after the leaves drop in the fall (fallen leaves can be extraordinarly slippery and they can mask other dangers on the ground).

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Waterfalls, swimming holes, and hiking can be extremely dangerous. Hundreds of people have been injured or killed in the waterfalls and swimming holes of New England over the years. Never swim in strong water currents. Don't jump into a swimming hole without scouting it first. Do not climb up or along the side of waterfalls. Be wary of slippery rocks. Never swim in pools above waterfalls. Use of this website and all of its information is at your own risk! Newenglandwaterfalls.com will not be held liable for your actions. Be safe out there - and always use common sense!

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