William H. Hill

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Hill liked to be known as a "River-Man," and is most associated with both walking a tightrope over Niagra Falls and riding in barrel over the falls.

He assisted famed Niagra Falls daredevil Jean Lussier who went over the falls in a giant rubber ball in 1928 by recovering the ball below the rapids.

Hill attempted his own feat to "shoot the rapids" below in falls in a barrel in 1931 with limited success. Saved from a whirlpool by his son, William Hill, Jr., the younger Hill was to go on to attempt to go over the falls himself in 1951 with fatal result.