Bodies of mum and her two children may never be found after they jumped off Niagara Falls, police fear
THE bodies of a mum and two children who jumped off Niagara Falls may never be recovered.
The heartbreaking news comes after cops launched a desperate hunt to find the bodies of Chaianti Means, 33, and her kids Roman Rossman, nine, and five-month-old Mecca Means.
Cops said on Wednesday that after sweeping the area thoroughly for days that search and rescue efforts were unsuccessful.
There has been no sign of any bodies so far, say investigators.
It is possible that her family may never be reunited with the bodies of their loved ones, following previous incidents.
Many of those who have jumped to their deaths in Niagara Falls or fallen in by accident have never been recovered from the bottom of the waterfall, over which 3,610 tons of water rage every second.
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Means, who was from Niagara Falls, outside Buffalo, New York, scaled the guard rails with her children on October 28.
Officers went to Goat Island at around 9pm on Monday night and started to search for the mom.
They later discovered all three members of the family were missing and believed they had fallen into the water below.
The New York Marine Patrol, Aviation and Underwater Recovery Units are all assisting in the hunt.
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Unmanned Aircraft Systems have also been deployed by New York State police.
Means went by Diamond Scott online and was active on Facebook, posting lighthearted messages about love and dating just days before jumping from the falls.
However, at the beginning of October, the mom shared now-heartbreaking messages about death.
Chaianti, a mum-of-three, worked as a domestic violence counsellor, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Tributes have poured in online following the tragic fall.
One of Chaianti's friends said: "I can’t even bare to write a post about her and share memories.
"I am literally sick to my stomach and I can’t even deal with the emotions I am feeling.
"Just know her and her children are dearly loved by me and my children."
A second close pal wrote on Facebook: "You really never know what anybody is going through….RIP."
The U.S. Sun spoke with a friend of Means, Amanda Roberts-Conrad, who said the two last connected at her son's birthday party in summer 2023.
Means brought her son and her nephew to the celebration, and the trio had tons of fun playing in a bouncy castle together.
However, in recent months, Means had been having relationship troubles and was struggling, Roberts-Conrad claimed.
The U.S. Sun approached the New York State Police to see if they were investigating this issue, but they didn't have a comment.
Roberts-Conrad first met Means in 2012 when they got pregnant at the same time.
She remembers the mom as a great friend who always had comforting words when Roberts-Conrad was struggling.
"Diamond was kind and beautiful. I will remember her as such," Roberts-Conrad said.
The friend slammed anyone who has been posting nasty words about Means instead of considering young mothers' mental health issues.
"It makes me so sad to see people paint her a type of way," she said.
"We need to bring more awareness to postpartum depression and possibly more safety down by the falls.
"This is a common occurrence in my city. It's gut-wrenching.
"It really is a terrible loss."
Last February, a mum died after falling 90 feet into the Niagara Gorge with her five-year-old son.
The child miraculously survived the deathly plunge as investigations were launched into what may have caused the two to fall into the gorge.
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Niagara Falls State Park is run by the New York State Office of Parks and Recreation and open to tourists 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
More than 8 million people visit the park each year, according to the recreation department.
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, , 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,
- HUMEN
- Mind, , 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus,, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans,, 116 123
