The youngest person on record to go over the Falls in a barrel is Stephen Trotter, a 22 year old from Rhode Island. He took the plunge over the Horseshoe Falls on August 19th, 1985, in a homemade barrel made from two pickle barrels that were reinforced with inner tubes. He also included a two-way radio and a SCUBA tank for air. He emerged unscathed moments after making the incredible plunge.
One trip over the Falls would not prove to be enough for the adventuresome Trotter, he returned to the Falls in June of 1995, this time with his friend Lori Martin. They became the second couple to go over the Falls and survive when they took the plunge in a barrel made of two hot water tank heaters that were welded together. They went over the Falls without incident, however, the barrel became lodged in a rock crevice just below the Falls, and a rescue team risked their own lives to pull Martin and Trotter to safety. They were both arrested and charged for their illegal stunt, and the barrel was stuck between the rocks in the water for 9 days, until a crane was brought in to remove it.
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