The out-of-towners were visiting the national park on Monday when police received several calls around 12:30 p.m. about a woman and a boy "that had fallen into the gorge" near the Cave of the Winds elevator, New York State Parks Police Captain Chris Rola said, according to video shared online by The Buffalo News.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while "lifesaving measures" were taken for the child, who was rushed to a local hospital with a head injury.
"The investigation is still ongoing at this time," Rola said, "but we don’t believe it was an accident."
Authorities monitor an unrelated crime scene in the Niagara River near the brink of American Falls, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, in Niagara Falls, N.Y. (Larry Kensinger/NC News Service via AP)
As of Tuesday, the boy was in critical condition after undergoing surgery. A spokesperson for the National Park Service did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for updated information.
The woman’s husband was present at the park but was unharmed, Rola added.
Rescuers traversed over "300 feet of dangerous icy terrain" while trying to get to the victims, the New York State Park Police said Tuesday.
A view of Niagara Falls on December 27, 2022. (Photo by Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Police have not released the victims’ names, citing the boy's young age and the active investigation.
Investigators are interviewing several witnesses, including the child’s father.