Sam Patch, a famous American daredevil jumper, died in 1883 after his final jump into the Genesee River.
Sam Patch, known as “the Yankee Leaper,” became a national sensation for his death-defying waterfall jumps. Born in 1807, he worked in mills as a child, where he started performing jumps for the entertainment of other mill workers. Patch gained fame for successfully leaping into the Niagara River near the base of Niagara Falls and later jumping at the Passaic Falls in Paterson, New Jersey, which drew large crowds.
His final jump took place on Friday, November 13, 1883, at the High Falls of the Genesee River in Rochester, New York. This jump was to be his most daring yet, with a wooden platform constructed to add an additional 25 feet to the 87-foot drop of the falls. Unfortunately, this jump proved fatal. Patch’s body was not recovered until the following spring, found frozen in a block of ice near the base of the falls.
The exact cause of his death remains a subject of speculation. Some believe that the awkward positioning of his body during the descent may have led to his demise, while others suggest that the cold temperatures and the shock of the icy water contributed to his death. Sam Patch’s legacy lived on, as he became an American folk hero, symbolizing the spirit of adventure and the ultimate price of fame.
