After 33 years of piquant and sometimes irascible commentary, 92-year-old Andy Rooney will surrender his regular gig on CBS' legendary newsmagazine "60 Minutes" this weekend.
Rooney will sign off with a final piece — his 1,097th — on Sunday's program, preceded by a retrospective segment on his career with longtime colleague Morley Safer, the network said in a news release Tuesday.
In addition to his own often attention-grabbing views — he once scolded those who mourned the 1994 suicide of Kurt Cobain by saying he'd never even heard of the Nirvana frontman before then — the beetle-browed Rooney is one of the last on-air links to the glory days of CBS News, when "60 Minutes" regularly topped the ratings and anchorman Walter Cronkite was dubbed "the most trusted man in America."
Virtually all of Rooney's on-air colleagues from when he joined "60 Minutes" in 1978 — including Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner and Ed Bradley — have either retired or died; only Safer, 79, and Bob Schieffer, the 74-year-old host of "Face the Nation," remain at work.
"There's nobody like Andy and there never will be. He'll hate hearing this, but he's an American original," Jeff Fager, the chairman CBS News and executive producer of "60 Minutes," said in a statement. "It's harder for him to do it every week, but he will always have the ability to speak his mind on '60 Minutes' when the urge hits him."
The network has not indicated whether it will replace Rooney. A CBS spokesman said neither network executives nor Rooney would elaborate until the commentator has his say on Sunday's program. Rooney did not appear on last week's season premiere of "60 Minutes" but the show did not allude to his absence. Last year, Rooney had told an interviewer, "I will work until I drop."
Rooney is exiting his post with apparently none of the rancor that attended the departure of another CBS fixture, former anchor Dan Rather, who was harshly criticized for a 2004 report on then-President George W. Bush's Vietnam-era military service that network executives later deemed flawed. The following year, Rooney obliquely criticized Rather and, by extension, his network bosses, as ones who had "escaped" punishment despite their responsibility for overseeing the Bush piece. The network eventually pushed Rather from his "CBS Evening News" perch and ultimately booted him from the network in 2006. (Rather later sued CBS but the case was dismissed.)
In 1990, Rooney was suspended by CBS for three months after he was quoted making disparaging remarks about blacks and gays. Rooney denied making some of the remarks but accepted the suspension rather than leave the network.
Rooney's departure firmly closes another door on an era for CBS and TV news in general. Some analysts hailed Rooney as a link to a more literate, less partisan age.
"Andy Rooney's retirement from CBS shows how much television has evolved since the glory days of network television decades ago," said Paul Levinson, a media professor at Fordham University in New York. "It was a time of sage and piquant commentary from Eric Sevareid, John Chancellor and, since 1978, from Andy Rooney. Nowadays you have to go to cable to find commentary, where's there's lots of it, but often petty, carping, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
A World War II veteran who wrote for the military newspaper "Stars & Stripes," Rooney joined CBS in 1949, working with then-popular host Arthur Godfrey and later with Reasoner, mainly as a writer and producer. In 1978, "60 Minutes" tapped him as a summer replacement for its "Point/Counterpoint" opinion segment. Within a few months, "A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney" had proved a hit with viewers.
The segment's ultra-simple format became a familiar — and sometimes parodied — TV signpost. Wearing a rumpled suit, the pear-shaped Rooney would sit, hands folded, at his desk in what appeared to be his rather cramped and cluttered CBS office, speaking directly into the camera. His typical jowly, bemused expression would occasionally curl into an outright smile, but just as often he would raise his voice slightly during his rants on random topics, the sort of free-range target practice that these days routinely turns up on Twitter.
Sometimes the matters were ones of consequence; more often, not. One characteristic piece faulted coffeemakers for putting fewer ounces than advertised of grounds in each can. "I don't really have any right to complain," he then concluded wryly. "The actual content of '60 Minutes' is now less than 42 minutes."
"I don't even know if they could replace him?" Doug Spero, an associate professor of mass communication at Meredith College in North Carolina, wrote of Rooney in an email. "He was the true representative of trivial matters. Common everyday things got his attention and common everyday things frustrated him, just like many of his viewers, who could relate."
Kamis, 29 September 2011
Andy Rooney to sign off '60 Minutes' after 33 years In typical Rooney fashion, news of his retirement was muted so as to give the irascible 93-year-old his final say on Sunday.
By Scott Collins, Los Angeles Times
September 28, 2011
After 33 years of piquant and sometimes irascible commentary, 92-year-old Andy Rooney will surrender his regular gig on CBS' legendary newsmagazine "60 Minutes" this weekend.
Rooney will sign off with a final piece — his 1,097th — on Sunday's program, preceded by a retrospective segment on his career with longtime colleague Morley Safer, the network said in a news release Tuesday.
In addition to his own often attention-grabbing views — he once scolded those who mourned the 1994 suicide of Kurt Cobain by saying he'd never even heard of the Nirvana frontman before then — the beetle-browed Rooney is one of the last on-air links to the glory days of CBS News, when "60 Minutes" regularly topped the ratings and anchorman Walter Cronkite was dubbed "the most trusted man in America."
Virtually all of Rooney's on-air colleagues from when he joined "60 Minutes" in 1978 — including Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner and Ed Bradley — have either retired or died; only Safer, 79, and Bob Schieffer, the 74-year-old host of "Face the Nation," remain at work.
"There's nobody like Andy and there never will be. He'll hate hearing this, but he's an American original," Jeff Fager, the chairman CBS News and executive producer of "60 Minutes," said in a statement. "It's harder for him to do it every week, but he will always have the ability to speak his mind on '60 Minutes' when the urge hits him."
The network has not indicated whether it will replace Rooney. A CBS spokesman said neither network executives nor Rooney would elaborate until the commentator has his say on Sunday's program. Rooney did not appear on last week's season premiere of "60 Minutes" but the show did not allude to his absence. Last year, Rooney had told an interviewer, "I will work until I drop."
Rooney is exiting his post with apparently none of the rancor that attended the departure of another CBS fixture, former anchor Dan Rather, who was harshly criticized for a 2004 report on then-President George W. Bush's Vietnam-era military service that network executives later deemed flawed. The following year, Rooney obliquely criticized Rather and, by extension, his network bosses, as ones who had "escaped" punishment despite their responsibility for overseeing the Bush piece. The network eventually pushed Rather from his "CBS Evening News" perch and ultimately booted him from the network in 2006. (Rather later sued CBS but the case was dismissed.)
In 1990, Rooney was suspended by CBS for three months after he was quoted making disparaging remarks about blacks and gays. Rooney denied making some of the remarks but accepted the suspension rather than leave the network.
Rooney's departure firmly closes another door on an era for CBS and TV news in general. Some analysts hailed Rooney as a link to a more literate, less partisan age.
"Andy Rooney's retirement from CBS shows how much television has evolved since the glory days of network television decades ago," said Paul Levinson, a media professor at Fordham University in New York. "It was a time of sage and piquant commentary from Eric Sevareid, John Chancellor and, since 1978, from Andy Rooney. Nowadays you have to go to cable to find commentary, where's there's lots of it, but often petty, carping, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
A World War II veteran who wrote for the military newspaper "Stars & Stripes," Rooney joined CBS in 1949, working with then-popular host Arthur Godfrey and later with Reasoner, mainly as a writer and producer. In 1978, "60 Minutes" tapped him as a summer replacement for its "Point/Counterpoint" opinion segment. Within a few months, "A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney" had proved a hit with viewers.
The segment's ultra-simple format became a familiar — and sometimes parodied — TV signpost. Wearing a rumpled suit, the pear-shaped Rooney would sit, hands folded, at his desk in what appeared to be his rather cramped and cluttered CBS office, speaking directly into the camera. His typical jowly, bemused expression would occasionally curl into an outright smile, but just as often he would raise his voice slightly during his rants on random topics, the sort of free-range target practice that these days routinely turns up on Twitter.
Sometimes the matters were ones of consequence; more often, not. One characteristic piece faulted coffeemakers for putting fewer ounces than advertised of grounds in each can. "I don't really have any right to complain," he then concluded wryly. "The actual content of '60 Minutes' is now less than 42 minutes."
"I don't even know if they could replace him?" Doug Spero, an associate professor of mass communication at Meredith College in North Carolina, wrote of Rooney in an email. "He was the true representative of trivial matters. Common everyday things got his attention and common everyday things frustrated him, just like many of his viewers, who could relate."
After 33 years of piquant and sometimes irascible commentary, 92-year-old Andy Rooney will surrender his regular gig on CBS' legendary newsmagazine "60 Minutes" this weekend.
Rooney will sign off with a final piece — his 1,097th — on Sunday's program, preceded by a retrospective segment on his career with longtime colleague Morley Safer, the network said in a news release Tuesday.
In addition to his own often attention-grabbing views — he once scolded those who mourned the 1994 suicide of Kurt Cobain by saying he'd never even heard of the Nirvana frontman before then — the beetle-browed Rooney is one of the last on-air links to the glory days of CBS News, when "60 Minutes" regularly topped the ratings and anchorman Walter Cronkite was dubbed "the most trusted man in America."
Virtually all of Rooney's on-air colleagues from when he joined "60 Minutes" in 1978 — including Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner and Ed Bradley — have either retired or died; only Safer, 79, and Bob Schieffer, the 74-year-old host of "Face the Nation," remain at work.
"There's nobody like Andy and there never will be. He'll hate hearing this, but he's an American original," Jeff Fager, the chairman CBS News and executive producer of "60 Minutes," said in a statement. "It's harder for him to do it every week, but he will always have the ability to speak his mind on '60 Minutes' when the urge hits him."
The network has not indicated whether it will replace Rooney. A CBS spokesman said neither network executives nor Rooney would elaborate until the commentator has his say on Sunday's program. Rooney did not appear on last week's season premiere of "60 Minutes" but the show did not allude to his absence. Last year, Rooney had told an interviewer, "I will work until I drop."
Rooney is exiting his post with apparently none of the rancor that attended the departure of another CBS fixture, former anchor Dan Rather, who was harshly criticized for a 2004 report on then-President George W. Bush's Vietnam-era military service that network executives later deemed flawed. The following year, Rooney obliquely criticized Rather and, by extension, his network bosses, as ones who had "escaped" punishment despite their responsibility for overseeing the Bush piece. The network eventually pushed Rather from his "CBS Evening News" perch and ultimately booted him from the network in 2006. (Rather later sued CBS but the case was dismissed.)
In 1990, Rooney was suspended by CBS for three months after he was quoted making disparaging remarks about blacks and gays. Rooney denied making some of the remarks but accepted the suspension rather than leave the network.
Rooney's departure firmly closes another door on an era for CBS and TV news in general. Some analysts hailed Rooney as a link to a more literate, less partisan age.
"Andy Rooney's retirement from CBS shows how much television has evolved since the glory days of network television decades ago," said Paul Levinson, a media professor at Fordham University in New York. "It was a time of sage and piquant commentary from Eric Sevareid, John Chancellor and, since 1978, from Andy Rooney. Nowadays you have to go to cable to find commentary, where's there's lots of it, but often petty, carping, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
A World War II veteran who wrote for the military newspaper "Stars & Stripes," Rooney joined CBS in 1949, working with then-popular host Arthur Godfrey and later with Reasoner, mainly as a writer and producer. In 1978, "60 Minutes" tapped him as a summer replacement for its "Point/Counterpoint" opinion segment. Within a few months, "A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney" had proved a hit with viewers.
The segment's ultra-simple format became a familiar — and sometimes parodied — TV signpost. Wearing a rumpled suit, the pear-shaped Rooney would sit, hands folded, at his desk in what appeared to be his rather cramped and cluttered CBS office, speaking directly into the camera. His typical jowly, bemused expression would occasionally curl into an outright smile, but just as often he would raise his voice slightly during his rants on random topics, the sort of free-range target practice that these days routinely turns up on Twitter.
Sometimes the matters were ones of consequence; more often, not. One characteristic piece faulted coffeemakers for putting fewer ounces than advertised of grounds in each can. "I don't really have any right to complain," he then concluded wryly. "The actual content of '60 Minutes' is now less than 42 minutes."
"I don't even know if they could replace him?" Doug Spero, an associate professor of mass communication at Meredith College in North Carolina, wrote of Rooney in an email. "He was the true representative of trivial matters. Common everyday things got his attention and common everyday things frustrated him, just like many of his viewers, who could relate."
10 Celebrity Elvis Impersonations On the anniversary of the King's death, classic imitations by Bruno Mars, Johnny Cash, Nicolas Cage, Frank Sinatra, and others.
Andy Kaufman
As a 20-year-old college student, comedian Andy Kaufman wrote a fan letter to his idol, Elvis Presley. Several years later, Kaufman had worked the King into his act. Kaufman would come onstage in his awkward Foreign Man character (the precursor to Latka on Taxi) and purposefully do bad impressions. Then he would tell the audience that he “would like to impersonate the Elvis Presley”—and then blow them away with a dead-on rendition of a Presley song. It was rare to impersonate Elvis at the time (especially since he was still alive), but Presley considered Kaufman’s the best he ever saw. Another way Kaufman imitates Elvis: There are those who think he’s still alive.
He may be a Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter now, but at the age of 4 Bruno Mars was known as the world’s youngest Elvis impersonator. In the 1990 documentary Viva Elvis, little Bruno was asked what he admired about the King. "I like his singing and his dance and his lips," he said, dressed in a full Elvis jumpsuit. And Mars’ impression can also be seen in the movie Honeymoon in Vegas, starring another huge Elvis fan: Nicolas Cage.
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is such a big Elvis fan that in 1990 he used Presley as the inspiration for his character in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart. Cage even recorded two songs as the King—“Love Me” and “Love Me Tender.” Twelve years later, Cage took his Elvis obsession to a new level when he married Presley’s only daughter, Lisa Marie. But after three months, they checked into Heartbreak Hotel when he filed for divorce.
Say one thing for former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, he certainly has the right hair to impersonate Elvis. In 2009, while facing federal corruption charges, Blagojevich made an appearance at a Chicago block party and performed Presley’s “Treat Me Nice”—alongside Fabio. And on his way to court before his sentencing—he was eventually found guilty of 17 corruption-related charges—Blago looked to the King’s words for inspiration. "It's in God's hands," he said, and then quoted "All Shook Up": "My hands are shaking, my knees are weak. I can't seem to stand on my own two feet." Pending an appeal, the next Elvis song Blagojevich will presumably sing is “Jailhouse Rock.”
Johnny Cash
As a 20-year-old college student, comedian Andy Kaufman wrote a fan letter to his idol, Elvis Presley. Several years later, Kaufman had worked the King into his act. Kaufman would come onstage in his awkward Foreign Man character (the precursor to Latka on Taxi) and purposefully do bad impressions. Then he would tell the audience that he “would like to impersonate the Elvis Presley”—and then blow them away with a dead-on rendition of a Presley song. It was rare to impersonate Elvis at the time (especially since he was still alive), but Presley considered Kaufman’s the best he ever saw. Another way Kaufman imitates Elvis: There are those who think he’s still alive.
He may be a Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter now, but at the age of 4 Bruno Mars was known as the world’s youngest Elvis impersonator. In the 1990 documentary Viva Elvis, little Bruno was asked what he admired about the King. "I like his singing and his dance and his lips," he said, dressed in a full Elvis jumpsuit. And Mars’ impression can also be seen in the movie Honeymoon in Vegas, starring another huge Elvis fan: Nicolas Cage.
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is such a big Elvis fan that in 1990 he used Presley as the inspiration for his character in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart. Cage even recorded two songs as the King—“Love Me” and “Love Me Tender.” Twelve years later, Cage took his Elvis obsession to a new level when he married Presley’s only daughter, Lisa Marie. But after three months, they checked into Heartbreak Hotel when he filed for divorce.
Say one thing for former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, he certainly has the right hair to impersonate Elvis. In 2009, while facing federal corruption charges, Blagojevich made an appearance at a Chicago block party and performed Presley’s “Treat Me Nice”—alongside Fabio. And on his way to court before his sentencing—he was eventually found guilty of 17 corruption-related charges—Blago looked to the King’s words for inspiration. "It's in God's hands," he said, and then quoted "All Shook Up": "My hands are shaking, my knees are weak. I can't seem to stand on my own two feet." Pending an appeal, the next Elvis song Blagojevich will presumably sing is “Jailhouse Rock.”
Johnny Cash
Elvis celebrated at White Lake Township store
Mike Martindale/ The Detroit News
White Lake Township— Evidently, Elvis has not left this building.
The King of Rock 'n' Roll lives on at the Graceland Wine Shoppe today, the 34th anniversary of his death on Aug. 16, 1977, at 42.
"The King Lives Here" is painted on the store's front windows. Beyond, a green-and-white "Elvis Presley Boulevard" street sign greets visitors.
Faded movie posters, framed photographs, lamps, lunch boxes, guitar-shaped clocks, puppets, statues, busts and dolls — all in the iconic singer's image — perch atop beer coolers and line walls. Elvis' music plays nonstop from a wide-screen TV, tuned to an Elvis station.
"He is just the best there ever was — there will never be music like his again, ever," store owner and fan David Sharrak said.
And while there's no grilled peanut butter and 'nana sandwich — the star's favorite — a small menu boasts "The King Special" pizza, "The King" gyro and a sub dubbed the "Graceland Heart Stopper."
Elvis would have been 76 now, Sharrak solemnly noted, as Elvis' recording of "Peace in the Valley" filled the room.
"People have been lining up at Graceland — the real one — for days in his honor," Sharrak said. "I knew a woman who was first in line to visit on his death every year. She had Elvis tattoos up and down both arms. He means that much to people."
Sharrak was 8 when he emigrated to the U.S. from Iraq. While he had heard the name "Elvis" as a child, it didn't mean anything until he began listening to records in his new home.
In 1988, Sharrak made a pilgrimage to Graceland and started a collection he values at several thousand dollars. "This used to be the Hilltop Wine Shoppe, but in '94 I changed it to Graceland for fun," he said. His customers appreciate the store's vibe. Jason Harvesty, 23, of Pontiac, travels several miles to the store for "The King" — the gyro sandwich.
"Oh man, his gyros are the best, worth the drive," Harvesty said. "Elvis? He's cool too. 'Love Me Tender' is one of my favorites. You come here and get good food and music."
White Lake Township— Evidently, Elvis has not left this building.
The King of Rock 'n' Roll lives on at the Graceland Wine Shoppe today, the 34th anniversary of his death on Aug. 16, 1977, at 42.
"The King Lives Here" is painted on the store's front windows. Beyond, a green-and-white "Elvis Presley Boulevard" street sign greets visitors.
Faded movie posters, framed photographs, lamps, lunch boxes, guitar-shaped clocks, puppets, statues, busts and dolls — all in the iconic singer's image — perch atop beer coolers and line walls. Elvis' music plays nonstop from a wide-screen TV, tuned to an Elvis station.
"He is just the best there ever was — there will never be music like his again, ever," store owner and fan David Sharrak said.
And while there's no grilled peanut butter and 'nana sandwich — the star's favorite — a small menu boasts "The King Special" pizza, "The King" gyro and a sub dubbed the "Graceland Heart Stopper."
Elvis would have been 76 now, Sharrak solemnly noted, as Elvis' recording of "Peace in the Valley" filled the room.
"People have been lining up at Graceland — the real one — for days in his honor," Sharrak said. "I knew a woman who was first in line to visit on his death every year. She had Elvis tattoos up and down both arms. He means that much to people."
Sharrak was 8 when he emigrated to the U.S. from Iraq. While he had heard the name "Elvis" as a child, it didn't mean anything until he began listening to records in his new home.
In 1988, Sharrak made a pilgrimage to Graceland and started a collection he values at several thousand dollars. "This used to be the Hilltop Wine Shoppe, but in '94 I changed it to Graceland for fun," he said. His customers appreciate the store's vibe. Jason Harvesty, 23, of Pontiac, travels several miles to the store for "The King" — the gyro sandwich.
"Oh man, his gyros are the best, worth the drive," Harvesty said. "Elvis? He's cool too. 'Love Me Tender' is one of my favorites. You come here and get good food and music."
Rabu, 28 September 2011
SABMiller: Conficker virus cost us £7.2 million
But selling 'poison' would have been far more costly, CISO argued
By Anh Nguyen | Computerworld UK | Published 18:30, 21 September 11
SABMiller, the brewer of brands including Peroni, Foster’s and Coors Light, has revealed how the Conficker virus caused it to lose £7.2 million production.
SABMiller’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Mark Brown made the revelation to illustrate how CISOs can demonstrate their value to the business beyond providing technical security. The Conficker worm was one of the most severe computer security problems in recent years. It took advantage of a vulnerability in Microsoft's software, infecting at least three million PCs, forming a massive botnet.
“Last April, I had to close down the Romanian operation for four hours because of the Conficker virus. It cost us £7.2 million [the revenue target lost, based on how much the breweries would have produced for sale during that time],” Brown told the Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit in London.
Within minutes of shutting down the affected operations, Brown received a call from his board asking him what he was doing.
He said they accepted his decision when he was able to tell them not only how much the stoppage would cost the business, but also by arguing that the effect on the company’s market capitalisation would be far worse if SABMiller had manufactured and sold poisoned stock.
Brown was able to make these arguments because he understood the business – in terms of brand, reputation, revenues and profit, not just technology.
“We have to understand what the organisation is. Anything I do has to enable the production of beer – that’s what SABMiller does.
“The business exists to make profit, [so the IT security strategy] has to be business-aligned and business focused,” he said.
Keeping the company secure is not a strategy, said Brown. As well as supporting the organisation, Brown believes that it is an opportunity for CISOs to raise their own profile. “So they know who you are, so they will ask you the right questions,” he said.
Brown advised CISOs to ensure that their strategy document is agile and constantly evolving to adapt to the changing threat landscape, and to assess how the threats might affect the business:
“[I would ask myself] ‘how will it impact SABMiller, and when?’ The only way you can know this is by truly understanding the business.”
These strategy plans should be long-term, as well as short-term, he added.
“You have to put together a three to five-year budget business plan. When I did this, I got a 1,200% increase in budget [at a time when people are having budgets cut] because I could be seen to be demonstrating value to the business and protecting the business, and not just worrying about IT,” said Brown.
Separately, SABMiller today announced its plans to acquire Australian brewer Foster's for around A$9.9 billion (£6.47 billion).
Japanese student swept over Niagara Falls in tragic accident
The 19-year-old woman from Japan climbed onto a railing overlooking Niagara Falls to get a better view, and slipped and fell.
A Japanese student is presumed dead after being swept over Niagara Falls.
The 19-year-old woman from Japan, who was studying in Toronto, climbed onto a railing overlooking the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and straddled it to get a better view while holding an umbrella in one hand, according to reports.
She slipped and fell from the railing into the fast-moving Niagara River about 80 feet above the edge of the falls, and was swept over.
The accident, which took place Sunday near the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side of Niagara, was captured on a security camera.
The Japanese woman's body has yet to be recovered, although during a search a rescue team instead found an unidentified male body at the base of the falls, the Canadian Press says.
Canadian and U.S. authorities say they are working to identify the corpse, and that there is no connection to the missing student, who has not been named.
Niagara Falls, one of North America’s most popular tourist sites, is a series of massive waterfalls on the border between the United States in New York and Canada in Ontario.
The Niagara Parks Police described the Japanese student’s death as a tragic accident, and warned tourists not to climb the railing at the top of the falls.
Niagara Parks Police Chief Doug Kane said that “climbing over this wall is clearly dangerous and is prohibited,” but visitors do it every day, the Canadian Press reports.
Still, this is the first time he has heard of a tourist tumbling into the falls from that wall, which is described as a 4-foot-high barrier with rock pillars between the metal railings. Danger signs are posted along it.
“We get about 11 million people a year here who view that annually — this is the first occurrence of this nature that I can recall,” Kane told the Toronto Star.
According to the Star, since 1903 only seven deaths involving people going over Niagara Falls have been judged to be accidents. Only one person is reported to have survived an accidental fall — Roger Woodward, in 1960.
Every year between 20 and 25 people commit suicide at Niagara Falls. It is also a popular attraction for daredevils, with 16 recorded daredevils going over the falls and 11 of them surviving, the Star says.
A Japanese student is presumed dead after being swept over Niagara Falls.
The 19-year-old woman from Japan, who was studying in Toronto, climbed onto a railing overlooking the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and straddled it to get a better view while holding an umbrella in one hand, according to reports.
She slipped and fell from the railing into the fast-moving Niagara River about 80 feet above the edge of the falls, and was swept over.
The accident, which took place Sunday near the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side of Niagara, was captured on a security camera.
The Japanese woman's body has yet to be recovered, although during a search a rescue team instead found an unidentified male body at the base of the falls, the Canadian Press says.
Canadian and U.S. authorities say they are working to identify the corpse, and that there is no connection to the missing student, who has not been named.
Niagara Falls, one of North America’s most popular tourist sites, is a series of massive waterfalls on the border between the United States in New York and Canada in Ontario.
The Niagara Parks Police described the Japanese student’s death as a tragic accident, and warned tourists not to climb the railing at the top of the falls.
Niagara Parks Police Chief Doug Kane said that “climbing over this wall is clearly dangerous and is prohibited,” but visitors do it every day, the Canadian Press reports.
Still, this is the first time he has heard of a tourist tumbling into the falls from that wall, which is described as a 4-foot-high barrier with rock pillars between the metal railings. Danger signs are posted along it.
“We get about 11 million people a year here who view that annually — this is the first occurrence of this nature that I can recall,” Kane told the Toronto Star.
According to the Star, since 1903 only seven deaths involving people going over Niagara Falls have been judged to be accidents. Only one person is reported to have survived an accidental fall — Roger Woodward, in 1960.
Every year between 20 and 25 people commit suicide at Niagara Falls. It is also a popular attraction for daredevils, with 16 recorded daredevils going over the falls and 11 of them surviving, the Star says.
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