While Indian media reported that a student from Punjab slipped and fell into the famous waterfalls last week, local police have said that “the person had intentionally entered the upper Niagara River above the brink of Niagara Falls“.
The incident took place on June 1, according to a police report. The person has not yet been located and is therefore considered missing. The report said the Niagara Parks Police responded to a report of a person who had intentionally entered the upper Niagara River above the brink of Niagara Falls at around 3:12 pm last Thursday.
The Tribune, an Indian publication, identified the person as 21-year-old Poonamdeep Kaur from Jalandhar who is a student and had been in Canada for a year and a half.
Niagara police say they do not disclose or publicly provide information on a suicide incident and are not releasing the person’s name “out of respect to their privacy and family”. But have made a statement that the act was intentional because of the misinformation surrounding the incident.
“Due to public misinformation circulating around this incident the NRPS is taking the un precedented step of confirming this was an intentional act. Detectives have recovered evidence to confirm this. Foul play is not suspected,” Niagara police said in a statement posted on their website.
The police and family have also learned that “Go Fund Me” profiles have been created in relation to this missing person. Police say this has been done without the immediate next of kin’s knowledge or consent.
Police are urging the public and media to respect the privacy of the family and missing person. No further information will be provided regarding this matter out of respect for the next of kin.
