1 post tagged “barrel”

So I have just discovered a new personal hero.  His name is Bobby Leach, and he had the most heroic death I've ever heard of. First, let me give you some background about his life. Most notably, he was the first person to survive a trip over Niagra Falls in barrel, which he accomplished in 1911. Now, I've always had somewhat of a soft spot in my heart for people who try to go over waterfalls in various contraptions, much like they must have a soft spot or two in their heads. Old Mr. Leach was a crazy codger, and rumors say he was a circus stunt man. The irony about his life and death is this: when crazy old Bobby Leach was about 67, he was vacationing in New Zealand. He was taking a stroll down the street when he happened upon an innocent looking orange peel. He promptly slipped on it, injuring his leg. Vague sources say that he then developed complications related to "the slip" and had to have his leg amputated, developed gangrene and died. Oh, the irony. To have survived a trip over Niagra Falls in this, a very comfortable looking steel pod,

yet slipping on an orange peel and ending his own life. This almost makes me believe that God exists, and has a wickedly hilarious sense of humor. Unfortunately, there aren't any more details to be found on the incident of the orange peel and what exactly the "complications" were. Its all very mysterious, and it leads me to believe that the Russian Mob probably placed that strategic orange peel in NZ, in order for their own stuntmen to earn some notoriety.