Channel swimmer Captain Matthew Webb died trying to swim the waters of Niagara
The violently swirling waters below Niagara Falls tempted Captain Matthew Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel, to try his luck in 1883. Unfortunately his skill was not enough
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While most people are content to just stand well behind the handrails and admire Niagara Falls, others have wanted to conquer the natural wonder. Over the years there had been many attempts, mostly fatal, to ride over the falls in a barrel. But even that didn’t interest English swimmer Captain Matthew Webb.
He was more interested in swimming through the tempestuous, surging waters of the Whirlpool Rapids downstream of the Falls.
For most people this would have been inconceivable, but Webb was no amateur bather.
This was the man who had dived into the churning surf at Dover, braving the English Channel to walk ashore at Calais
in 1875 — the first swimmer to be recorded as having crossed the Channel unaided.
He had been a strong swimmer all of his life, rescuing a fellow merchant navy cadet from drowning at the age of 12 and once diving into the Atlantic from an ocean liner to try to rescue a seaman. His effort earnt him a Human Society medal despite his failure to rescue the man.
But if he was looking for something to really challenge his skills he found it in the Whirlpool Rapids. The swirling waters had already claimed 80 lives and many people had pronounced them too strong for anyone to survive.
But on July 24, 1883 — 136 years ago today — Webb ignored all good advice and took the plunge. Wearing the red swimsuit he had worn to conquer the Channel, he dived from a rowboat into the river. He was immediately swept away, too fast and too far downstream for his assistants in the rowboat to go after him. He threw up his arms, perhaps to signal for rescue, before he disappeared below the waters.
It was a sad end to a glorious career that had made Webb a hero around the world but he
was a victim of over-confidence, a confidence in his own abilities that had come
from his familiarity with water from an early age.
Born on January 19, 1848, in the town of Dawley in Shropshire, Webb was the son of a country doctor. He grew up in the village of Madeley, on Britain’s longest river, the Severn, and took to swimming at a very early age, honing his skills by testing himself against the river. At just eight he is said to have rescued one of his brothers from drowning.
With such confidence in the water, Webb naturally decided on a career at sea, signing up as a cadet in the merchant navy at 12.
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He rose quickly up the ranks and at only 18, when he had gained his ticket as Second Mate, was called on to take charge of a small steamship. It earnt him the honorific of captain.
When he wasn’t at sea he was often found taking a dip, sometimes to make a bit of extra money. In one case he bet someone he could stay longer in the water than a Newfoundland, a dog breed known for their love of water. He won the bet and pocketed £10.
At 26 he was first officer on a Cunard liner when it was caught in a heavy gale. Seaman Michael Hynes was washed overboard and Webb dived in after him. He spent over half an hour in the water before the ship picked him up again. Unfortunately he could find no sign of Hynes.
He was applauded by the passengers who collected £250 for him as a reward and he was also awarded medals by the Liverpool Human Society and the Royal Human Society.
In 1873 he heard about John Baptist Johnson’s attempt to swim the Channel and began to attempt his own long distance swim feats.
In 1875, just months after attaining the rank of captain and getting command of his own ship, he decided to resign from the Merchant Navy and take up swimming full time.
He announced his intention to swim the Channel, taking bets on whether he would make it. On August 12 he plunged in at Dover, but was
ill-prepared and gave up after seven hours. To avoid paying out hundreds of pounds, he tried again on August 24, this time equipped with a long-legged swimming costume and smeared with porpoise fat to fight off the cold.
After 21 hours, 44 minutes and 55 seconds, braving cold, rough seas, jellyfish and a diet of cod liver oil, brandy and beer, he arrived in Calais, where he needed to be carried ashore.
The cash he won on his bets, along with money from a subscription taken up by an admiring public, made him a moderately wealthy man.
He then travelled the world charging money for public appearances, performing swimming feats and giving lessons. But his restless soul and hunger for ever greater challenges led him
to the Niagara River where his fantastic story ended.
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