William "Red" Hill Sr. (November 17, 1888 – May 14, 1942) was a Canadian daredevil and rescuer, born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in 1888. In 1896 he received his first medal for bravery when he rescued his sister from their burning house which was followed by a life-saving medal in 1912, achieving the status as a local hero. A bootlegger on occasion during the Prohibition, Hill went on to receive a total of four medals in addition to being credited with saving 28 lives and the recovery of 177 accident and suicide victims from the Niagara River just below the Falls.
Hill's reputation grew as a renowned Canadian daredevil in 1930 with a five-hour journey in a steel barrel which began just below the falls at the Maid of the Mist boat landing and through the treacherous Niagara lower rapids ending up several miles down stream at Queenston, Ontario.
Niagara daredevil
From a very early age, Red was obsessed by both the Niagara River and the power of Niagara Falls and would spend most of his days tossing sticks, cans, rubber tubing and anything else that would float over the falls and along the river rather than attending school.
It was the study of how the various items floated over the precipice of the falls and how they would reappear in the rapids below that proved to be the vital source of knowledge that brought the young Hill much notoriety and international fame later in life.
When Bobby Leach tempted fate by going over the great Horseshoe Falls in his crude steel barrel in 1910, it was Red Hill that retrieved the barrel and extracted the battered but otherwise healthy Leach from the steel conveyance. Hill again came to the rescue of Leach following his failed attempt to swim the Niagara Gorge in 1920, just ten years after his plunge over the falls. Following Leach's rescue, Hill climbed into the barrel himself and proceeded down the Niagara Gorge rapids several miles downriver to Queenston, Ontario.
Challenging the Niagara rapids
Red Hill's second trip through the Niagara rapids came on May 30, 1931, this time choosing a steel barrel long and in diameter. The opening was a manhole, covered by sliding steel and sealed with rubber gaskets. There were air holes on each side, which were plugged with cork and could be removed. The contraption weighed over and was painted red with gold lettering that read "William Red Hill, Master Hero of Niagara" inscribed on both sides.
An estimated 25,000 spectators watched Hill attempt to conquer the rapids which got off to a slow start as the barrel bobbed and bucked in the raging river for an hour and forty minutes before arriving in the lower rapids. In less than 90 seconds he had entered the mighty Niagara Whirlpool with its extremely strong currents and become trapped as his barrel violently spun in circles for more than three hours. At one point he had opened the steel hatch and tried to paddle against the current to free himself, but to no avail. It was only through the efforts of his son William "Red" Hill Jr., who swam out to the floundering barrel with a rope attached to his waist, that the senior Hill survived.
The next day the 42-year-old Hill went back to the whirlpool, retrieved his contraption and continued the final leg of his journey to Queenston, Ontario where he emerged triumphant, with only a few minor cuts and bruises.
Ice bridge collapse
In the early part of the century, thousands of tourists would venture out onto the ice bridge that forms in the pool at the base of the falls during extremely cold winters. On February 4, 1912, while operating a small shanty that served hot beverages and snacks on the frozen river to tourists that were visiting the "Ice bridge", he heard the ice below him tremble and he immediately sensed disaster.
He realized the ice was breaking up below and he frantically tried to wave the spectators to safety on the Canadian side. Realizing that four people were still on the ice, Red Hill Sr. returned and managed to pull one person, 17 year old Ignatius Roth, to safety and they reached the Canadian side. Three others were not so fortunate in spite of rescue efforts that included Hill; that was at least partly because they ignored his advice and tried to reach the American side of the falls instead.
Despite frantic efforts to drop ropes from the bridges, the three terrified people were swept to their deaths and their bodies never recovered.