AUGUST 11, 2009 (NIAGARA, NY) – 12-year-old Magdalena Lubowska of the Bronx, NY, drowned last August at Niagara Falls’ Whirlpool State Park while attending the unlicensed overnight camp, Renaissance House, allegedly still operated by Eva and Timothy Hedges of Niagara, NY.
Last August, then-23-year-old Timothy Hedges, the lone adult guide for Magdalena and at least 20 other children, led his charges into a treacherous area near the lower run-off of Niagara Falls, far from the safety of a beaten path. “[He] was not a professional tour guide,” said State Parks Police Lt. Patrick Moriarty. According to neighbors and local sources, a criminal investigation is pending.
Marking the one-year anniversary of Magdalena’s death this week, her family and their attorney-spokesperson Gus Michael Farinella are organizing a memorial walk and vigil in Niagara to commemorate her passing. The public is invited to accompany the family on the entirety or a portion of the route, which begins at 12 noon in front of Renaissance House at 722 Fourth Street, and follows the exact path the campers took, down the stairwells to the river at Whirlpool State Park (Mapquest.com link).
To quote independent aquatic safety specialist Dr. Tom Griffiths’ opinion report on the incident, after a personal inspection of the crime scene: “While the park materials inform hikers how to access the trail system, little information is provided regarding the many and varied dangers located within the Niagara Gorge Trail System. Conspicuous by their absence are strong statements explaining that a fall in the river will most probably be fatal. The trails that descend down the rim are in fact very difficult, arduous, unmaintained, narrow and unsafe…prior to the Lubowska tragedy, there were absolutely no warning signs or other layers of protection, like handrails, in place…the large, flat rocks at the river’s edge slope toward the water, making it easy for anyone to fall in the river.”
To further honor Magdalena’s life, this website (SafeSummers.org) has been launched to help raise awareness of overnight and day-camp safety.
This website also contains information on how to make contributions in Magdalena’s memory.
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