“There are three waterfalls, the Horseshoe, American and Bridal Veil. People planning to go over the falls for suicide or a daredevil act tend to jump into the Horseshoe, because it’s the largest, but this one is mostly in Canada. Those who want to jump into the water in America do so with the American Falls.” Val paused, lining up her facts. “As the Niagara River approaches the American Falls, the water is going about sixty miles an hour. Then it drops about 110 feet onto large boulders.”

“I can certainly understand how that could cause some damage. With the speed, large drop, not to mention the rocks, someone’s head could easily have been shattered,” Jack said. “But the skull was found several miles away.”

“Yes, and more damage could have come from the next part of the trip,” Gwen added. “That’s what Blythe thinks.”

Val continued with her list of facts. “Once over the drop, the river becomes known as the Lower Niagara. As it enters the Niagara Gorge it calms slightly. That’s because the gorge widens but then the water travels through a narrow part and quickly picks up a lot of speed and turbulence, forming the Whirlpool Rapids. These are class six rapids, the most dangerous kind and considered nearly impossible to travel on.”

“Why is it called Whirlpool Rapids?” Jack asked.

“There’s a ninety-degree bend in the river. At the elbow of the bend there’s a basin that the water’s forced into. The water circles slowly here forming a whirlpool,” said Val.

Gwen remarked, “Actually, the whirlpool is on the Canadian side of the river. It’s a common spot where bodies wash up. They get caught up in the swirl of the water.”

“What happens after this spot?” Jack asked. “This skull wasn’t found there. Evidently it missed this prime congregation area for human remains.”

“After the whirlpool, the gorge widens again and the water slows again. It picks up speed once more at Devil’s Hole, forming the Lower Whirlpool Rapids. After Devil’s Hole, it calms one last time and remains like that all the way to Lake Ontario.”

“So, there are several places where the water calms or slows down.”

“Yes,” Val answered.

“And a place where bodies typically wash up. The Canadian side of the whirlpool.”

“Yes.”

“So why didn’t this skull wash up in these areas? Or a body for that matter?”

“The water’s pretty strong. It could have moved it along,” Val said, unsure of Jack’s point.

“Only where the water’s strong. But there are places where it’s somewhat calm.”

“Then it simply floated down the river.”