The bodies of a mother who killed herself and her two children by jumping from Niagara Falls may never be found.
Chianti Means, 33, stepped over the guardrail on Luna Island on Monday evening with her two children Roman, 9, and Mecca, four months.
Police said Wednesday that after days of thoroughly searching the area, search and rescue efforts were unsuccessful. DailyMail.com has contacted police for further comment.
Based on previous incidents, it is entirely likely that her family will never be reunited with the bodies of their loved ones.
Many of those who jumped to their deaths or accidentally fell into Niagara Falls were never found at the bottom of the waterfall, where 3,610 tons of water rush over it every second.
Some are pushed far from the falls by the raging currents, with one man falling to his death discovered years later 140 miles away in Lake Ontario.
Based on previous incidents, it is entirely likely that her family will never be reunited with the bodies of their loved ones.
The mother of two stepped over the railing of Luna Island on Monday evening, with her two children Roman, right, and Mecca, left
Vincent C. Stack, of Buffalo, New York, went missing from the state park in 1990 at the age of 40.
His remains were found in April 1992 and were said to be ‘severely decomposed and largely skeletal’.
After years of being unidentified, a DNA profile turned out to be “a familial match” to DNA collected from his family.
Police say his remains went over the falls before traveling 15 miles to the mouth of the river before floating 130 miles across Lake Ontario to the shores of Oswego.
In another case from 1981, the body of Hesham Sayegh, who was 11 months old, was never found after his mother dropped him into the swirling waters.
His mother Dunia Sayegh was charged with manslaughter over his death before the case was dismissed, a police spokesman said. UPI story from 1982.
New York State Police Launch Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Aviation and Underwater Recovery Unite to Aid in Search for Means and Her Children.
New York State Police Launch Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Aviation and Underwater Recovery Unite to Aid in Search for Means and Her Children
Means’ friends say they’re ‘sorry you didn’t feel like you had anywhere else to turn’
Since her death, previous Facebook posts she made have surfaced online, in which she expressed her desire to return to her daughter’s father.
Just days before coming to terms with her and her children’s deaths, Means marveled at her daughter and wrote online that she was beautiful.
On October 14, Means expressed regret that she and her daughter’s father were no longer together.
“Because I was a stupid pregnant b**** who swore up and down that I don’t want him,” she wrote about the breakup. “I need all the positive energy I can get,” she said.
Several of Means’ friends posted tributes to the mother of two on Facebook.
“You really never know what someone is going through….RIP,” Niesha Eukeya said.
“I don’t even dare to write a post about her and share memories,” Mich Molina wrote.
Means, who lived with her family in Niagara Falls, worked as a domestic violence counselor, according to her LinkedIn
Means, along with her two children, are believed to have crossed the ‘safety guild rail’ on Luna Island at around 9pm on Monday evening (stock photo of the rail)
‘I literally feel sick to my stomach and can’t even deal with the emotions I’m feeling. Just know that she and her children are deeply loved by me and my children.”
Means, who lived with her family in Niagara Falls, worked as a domestic violence counselor, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Luna Island is a small island between the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, which together with the Horseshoe Falls is a popular tourist attraction.
Niagara Falls State Park is managed by the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation and is open to tourists 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
According to the recreation department, more than 8 million people visit the park every year.