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Kirk Jones

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Daredevil

The Resume

    (1963-April 19, 2017)
    Resident of Canton, Michigan
    Jumped into the Niagara River a hundred yards upstream from the Falls
    Took the Niagara Falls plunge (October 22, 2003)
    Toured with the Toby Tyler Circus for a year telling his story (2003-04)
    Went over the Falls again in an inflatable ball, but did not survive

Why he might be annoying:

    He claimed that jumping into the river was an impulsive act that he had been driven to by depression.
    However, he had talked about going over the Falls without a barrel for years and had brought along a friend with a video camera.
    His friend never figured out how to operate the camera (possibly thanks to the rum and cokes they had been drinking before the big plunge) so the event went unrecorded.
    Niagara County Coroner Jimmy Joyce said, 'Every young kid with alcohol and testosterone flowing though his veins is going to think, If that 40 year old guy can make it, why can't I?'
    Roger Woodward, the only previous person to survive a plunge over the Falls without a barrel, said 'If it's a stunt, I think it's silly foolishness and I don't want to have anything to do with it.'
    At the time of the plunge, he looked like David Crosby.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He suffered less serious injuries than many of the people who went over in barrels.
    Unlike Woodward, he did not have even the minimal protection of a life vest.
    Noting the odds against his survival, Niagara Falls historian Paul Gromosiak said, 'When he gets out of the hospital, he should visit a casino. He's on a roll.'
    Despite coroner Joyce's worries, going over the Falls sans protection did not become the big trend among Jackass wannabes.
    He was fined $3,000 for performing an illegal stunt and ordered to reimburse 'Niagara Park: Journey Behind the Falls' $1,408 for revenues lost when they shut down during his rescue.
    He said the fine was worth it because he got to meet his childhood hero, Alice Cooper, as a result of the plunge.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 6 Votes: 16.67% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 10 Votes: 70.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 88 Votes: 53.41% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 8 Votes: 75.00% Annoying