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. He was also motivated by the death of daredevil Charles Stephens. Despite the damage sustained by the ball, Lussier only sustained minor bruising from the impact.

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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