Niagara Falls: 10-year-old boy 'posing for photo' falls 30m down famous landmark

A 10-year-old boy has survived a 30 metre tumble over the Niagara Falls into a gorge.

He is believed to have been sitting on a railing to pose for a photograph when he lost his balance, hit his head, and fell down.

Police are investigating but there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances.

The boy, who has not been named, is in a stable condition in hospital, the BBC reported.

He was rushed there by a helicopter. Medics initially feared his injuries were life threatening but his condition was later downgraded.

The famed waterfalls are a major tourist attraction on the border of the US and Canada.

They are made up of three falls and the accident is reported to have happened at Horseshoe Falls, the largest at 51m high.

American Falls, the second largest, is 34m tall and Bridal Veil Falls is 24m in height.

Earlier this year, a man died after going over inside a three metre wide inflatable ball.

Kirk Jones, 53, had previously plunged over the falls in 2003 without protection and survived.

Others have also gone over the falls inside objects. In 1901, teacher Annie Edson Taylor went over in a barrel aged 63 in an unsuccessful bid to raise money for her retirement.

Her manager ran off with her barrel, depriving her of a lucrative prop for speaking engagements.

The first recorded person to survive an intentional leap down the waterfalls was daredevil Sam Patch in 1829. The stunt made him a household name.