LIST OF WATERFALL & SWIMMING HOLE DEATHS

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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