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Pointing to rescue area

Maid of the Mist guard plays key role in Niagara Falls Gorge rescue

3/25/15

For Officer Aaron Howe, Jan. 27, 2015, was a normal day on the job, as the security guard worked the overnight shift at the Maid of the Mist storage facility in the Niagara Gore in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Howe works for U.S. Security Associates, which has a security contract with Maid of the Mist Corp.

U.S. Security Associates Officer Aaron Howe

But things changed at about 5:40 a.m. While making his rounds in bone-chilling conditions (the wind chill was well below zero), Howe heard a cry for help across the frozen Niagara River, on the Canadian side. He knew someone was in trouble, but because of the blowing snow and darkness, he couldn’t pinpoint the man’s location.

“I yelled to him, asked him if he needed help and he said yes,” Howe recalled. “He said my legs are hurting. I said just him to hold on, I’m going to get help for you.”

Howe contacted New York State Parks Police, explained the situation, and within five to 10 minutes, first responders from Ontario Parks Police and the Niagara Falls, Ontario Fire Department arrived on the scene and began their successful rescue.

The man, who was sleeping on a ledge at the top of the Niagara Gorge, apparently tumbled over the side, falling 60 feet. Fortunately, he did not suffer serious injury.

On March 16 at the storage facility, Howe was presented with a proclamation from New York State Parks Police. Lieutenant Patrick Moriarty said it’s very likely that Howe saved the man’s life. “Without Aaron hearing that cry for help, the victim probably would have suffered from hypothermia and eventually gone into shock. There’s a strong probability he would have died.”

“We were very pleased that Aaron, in making his rounds, was able to hear the gentlemen in distress over in Canada, and phone that in to the Park Police,” said Jon Schultz, vice president of Operations for the Maid of the Mist.

Robert Chella from U.S. Security Associates, said Howe, a three year veteran of the firm who has been assigned to the Maid of the Mist since its new storage facility opened in 2012, said his training paid off. “It shows our officers are alert. Thank God he had the initiative to zero in on this person’s location and call the authorities.”