During a family outing at Niagara Falls, Crown Heights mother Nechama Nerenberg miraculously survived a 50-foot fall off a steep cliff and sustained only minor injuries.
By Anash.org reporter
During a family outing at Niagara Falls, a pregnant Crown Heights mother Nechama Nerenberg miraculously survived a 50-foot fall off a steep cliff and sustained only minor injuries.
The woman was hiking with her family in Niagara Falls gorge. She was walking her eight-year-old daughter on the trail when she suddenly tripped and started sliding head first and on her stomach down the cliff. She later recorded an emotional voice note, telling over the entire incident.
“I started sliding on my stomach headfirst towards the cliff,” the mother related. “There were trees on my right and I should have stopped myself. I was trying to stop myself. I heard my daughter screaming.”
She recalled thinking to herself that she had to stop herself. She tried grabbing onto a very thick root sticking up out of the ground. “It looked like it was strong enough that it should have been able to help me stop myself,” she said.
“All I knew next I was floating. I could only describe it as floating. I was floating down this cliff freefalling but in like a floating fashion. And I could only just maybe describe it that Hashem was holding me because it doesn’t make sense. I wasn’t going so fast. I was floating down. And then I hit the bottom.”
As she fell to the ground, she landed in an area that was full of boulders right next to the water, and hit her head in the back and in the front. After realizing she was ok, she quickly retrieved her sheitel, and shouted up to her husband that she was alive.
“I was sitting there and I was thanking Hashem for all the good things in the world,” she recalled. “My healthy children, my healthy husband. Thank you Hashem, for making me fall for and not my kids.”
Three men who were familiar with the area climbed down from another portion of the trail to help her. They gave her water and waited with her until emergency rescuers arrived. Upon their arrival, some 15 firefighters rappelled down the cliff to assist the injured woman and evacuated her by boat.
They transferred her to the hospital, where the doctors and nurses needed to double check if they had heard the information correctly, not believing that she had fallen 50 feet and still was conscious and healthy.
They then checked on her and her unborn baby, quickly concluding that they had suffered only minor, non-life-threatening injuries.
“I have a fractured spine and some scratches but I was able to get up and walk around,” she said.
“Hashem really gave me such a big miracle,” she emotionally said. “My scatches are almost healed, my wounds are almost closed. I still have to see a neurosurgeon for my back. But, Baruch Hashem, I’m so so so blessed.”
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Thank you for posting this. She clearly states that she was wearing a sheitel. Wearing a sheitel brings brochos and zechuyos, especially when it’s challenging to do so, such as on a hike in the summer.
Let your readers be inspired! You never know what kind of impact this one word can make.
Good idea to add The Rebbe’s sichos Kodesh on the topic. Many women from all walks of Yiddishkeit will be inspired to follow The Rebbe’s horo’ah.
Amazing – nisei nissim. Thanks for sharing down to very personal emotions!
MOSHIACH NOW
Nechama, Yasher koach for being clearheaded and sharing your remarkable miraculous story. Wishing you and your family all revealed good. I loved how, despite a terrible scare, you stuck in a good word about hiking 🙂 It sounds like a freak accident on a relatively safe trail.
Thank you Nechama. Even though we don’t know you personally we felt your pain and the comfort of Hashem being with you through this very trying time. To be able to relive this amazing event with such a clear explanation and to share it with the world speaks volumes of the type of person you are.
May Hashem continue to bless you and your family with a healthy child and nachos from your entire family till 120.
Have a great Shabbos and stay safe.