Jean Lussier

Joseph Albert Lussier, better known as Jean, was born in 1891 in either Concord, New Hampshire or Quebec, Canada.

Unlike the daredevils who had gone over the Falls previously in wooden barrels, Lussier designed and built a 6 ft rubber ball lined with oxygen tubes. The recent death of daredevil Charles Stephens (who went over the falls in a barrel) did not deter Lussier, but instead motivated him even more to try his own unique version of the stunt. On July 4, 1928, Lussier took the plunge over the falls. Despite the damage sustained by the ball, Lussier emerged relatively unscathed, with only minor bruising from the impact. Lussier successfully became the fourth daredevil to go over Niagara Falls, and the third to survive.

Capitalizing on his newfound fame and notoriety, Lussier moved to Niagara Falls and began selling pieces of the ball to tourists. Once he ran out, he later used pieces of tires. In 1952, when Lussier was 61 years old, he dreamed of becoming the only person to go over both of the major Niagara Falls. He started making plans to make his second daredevil stunt and go over the American Falls in a larger and more complex rubber ball. Unfortunately, his dreams never materialized, and he retired in 1958 at the age of 67. Lussier died of natural causes in 1971 at the age of 80.[1]

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