Surviving Niagara Falls: The Impossible True Story of 7-Year-Old Roger Woodward | E207

The CRUX: True Survival Stories

Bleav + Kaycee McIntosh + Julie Henningsen

Society & Culture, Halloween, Wilderness, True Crime, Nature, National, Crime, Documentary

4.0 • 606 Ratings

🗓️ 5 January 2026

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of the Crux True Survival Story Podcast, medical professionals Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen explore the harrowing survival story of 7-year-old Roger Woodward, who miraculously survived a plunge over Niagara Falls in 1960. The episode takes listeners through every critical moment of Roger's journey—from a peaceful boat ride on the Niagara River, through the terrifying rapids, to his rescue at the brink of death. The story also highlights the heroism of onlookers and the emotional aftermath for Roger and his family. Tune in for this compelling narrative about the fine line between tragedy and miracle.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, survivalists. This is the Crux True Survival Story podcast. I'm Casey McIntosh. And I'm Julie Hennyson. And we are medical professionals with a passion for wilderness survival.
0:17.3	Join us as we explore real life survival stories and the critical moments that determine
0:22.0	their outcomes. Buckle up. Adventure awaits. Let's dive into this week's story. Welcome back to the
0:30.8	crux. Before we dive into today's story, I want to give a huge thanks to listener Forrest Palumbo,
0:36.9	who emailed us suggesting we cover today's story after hearing Stuart McLean's retelling of this story on the vinyl cafe.
0:45.3	For those of you who don't know, Stuart McLean was a beloved Canadian storyteller and radio host whose warm, conversational style brought stories to life for millions of listeners.
0:57.7	His recording of Roger Woodward's survival became one of the most requested stories in vinyl
1:05.1	cafe history.
1:07.0	Forrest, your message reminded us that the best survival stories are the ones that stay with us long after we first hear them.
1:14.9	And Roger Woodward's story is exactly that kind of tale.
1:18.9	Thanks for listening, Forrest, and thanks for this great story suggestion.
1:23.4	When people think about Niagara Falls, they think about honeymoons, rainbows in the mist, those iconic blue rain
1:31.8	ponchos on the maid of the mist tour boats, episodes of the TV
1:36.3	show The Office. That's what I think of. They think about one of the
1:40.7	natural wonders of the world, a place where 750,000 gallons of water thunder over a 188 foot drop every single second.
1:52.7	Casey, have you been to Niagara Falls? I have only been to Niagara Falls through experiencing them secondhand in media, photos, videos, never there in person, but I'm sure
2:04.1	it's amazing. I stopped by there once on a road trip and it is amazing. It's also something that
2:10.1	you can get a feel for by looking at photos and videos. It's quite incredible. But here's what
2:16.8	most people don't think about. What would it be
2:20.0	like to fall over those falls? Not in a barrel or not in some sort of reinforced contraption
2:26.7	designed by a daredevil seeking fame, but wearing nothing but a life jacket and a bathing suit.
2:35.0	On July 19, 1960, a seven-year-old boy named Roger Woodward did exactly that,
	...

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