Remains found in Niagara River identified as Japanese student

Aug 19, 2011 17:18:43 PM
NIAGARA FALL - Police say the human remains recovered from the U.S. side of the Niagara River yesterday have been identified as the 19-year-old student from Japan.






The body was spotted Thursday morning by an employee at Cave of the Winds on the New York State side of the river.

The 19-year-old woman was a student at the Hansa Language Centre in Toronto. Classmates identify the woman as Ayano Tokumasu.

Niagara Parks police say she straddled the safety fence to pose for a photo on August 14 when she lost her balance, fell into the water and was swept over the Horseshoe Falls.

Surveillance footage from a visitors' centre showed Tokumasu climbing over a safety railing to pose for a photo. When she tried to climb back up, she slipped and fell over.