Steve Trotter was a bartender and a daredevil who became famous for going over Niagara Falls in a barrel twice, once in 1985 and again in 1995. He was one of the few people to survive the stunt twice, and also performed other illegal stunts, such as swinging from the Golden Gate Bridge and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. He died unexpectedly in 2022 at the age of 61. But what was the cause of his death? And how did he manage to pull off his daring feats?
The Mystery of His Death
According to an online obituary, Steve Trotter passed away very suddenly on October 14, 2022, in Freeport, Florida, where he lived and worked as a bartender. The cause of death, however, was not made public. According to Ghsplash, a news publishing website from Ghana, Trotter’s photo was published in Time magazine, he made the front page of USA Today, and numerous other publications worldwide. He was also selected by Mademoiselle as “One of the 10 Sexiest Men in the World”.
However, there is some confusion about his identity, as some sources have mistakenly confused him with another famous person named Charlie Trotter, who was a renowned chef and restaurateur from Chicago. Charlie Trotter also died unexpectedly in 2013 at the age of 54, but his cause of death was later determined to be a stroke caused by high blood pressure. According to TODAY, an autopsy on Charlie Trotter found no signs of foul play or trauma, but it may be as long as two months before a cause of death can be determined. According to CBS News, a source told WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller that Charlie Trotter had hypertension and did not always take his medication and also missed a recent doctor’s appointment.
Therefore, it is unclear whether Steve Trotter’s death was related to any health issues or injuries he may have sustained from his stunts, or whether it was due to natural causes or an accident. His family and friends have not released any official statement or obituary about his death.
His Amazing Stunts
Steve Trotter was born on November 13, 1960, in Providence, Rhode Island. He had planned to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel since he was a teenager, and innovated a construction design using two pickle barrels placed end-to-end. The exterior was reinforced with layers of fiberglass, balsa wood for flotation, and covered with truck tire inner tubes for shock absorption. Trotter was strapped into an automotive racing harness and equipped with flashlights, a life jacket, a two-way radio, and oxygen tanks. The ends of the barrel were sealed with submarine-style twist caps.
Despite having been stopped by Niagara Parks police two days earlier, on August 18, 1985, at 8:30 AM, Trotter’s 11-man crew launched his barrel into the Niagara River rapids, a quarter-mile from the brink of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Trotter went over the Falls and survived with minor scrapes. He said the stunt was “like the best roller-coaster ride you had as a 10-year-old.” He was fined $500 by the Niagara Parks Police for “illegally stunting in a park”.
He performed the stunt again on June 18, 1995, becoming the second person to survive the stunt twice. He was accompanied by Lori Martin. The barrel, which had a 90-minute air supply for its two occupants, was made from two heater tanks welded together. Trotter received a compression fracture in his back as a result of the stunt. He also received a jail sentence of two weeks and was fined $14,700 by the Niagara Parks Commission.
Trotter also achieved notoriety in November 1985, when he set the world record for the longest “Tarzan swing” off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Trotter attached a 176-foot (54 m) cable to the center span of the bridge, then moved to a point 176 feet (54 m) away, and jumped off the bridge. Trotter, sitting on a small wooden disk attached to the end of the cable, in effect became the weight on a pendulum, traveling at 70 mph (112 km/h). Trotter was jailed and charged with trespassing.
Trotter’s attempted repeat of the stunt in 1997 at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge ended in disaster. He fell 25 to 30 feet and broke his back, pelvis and two vertebrae in his neck.
His Legacy
Steve Trotter was a fearless and adventurous person who lived his life on the edge. He inspired many people with his courage and determination to achieve his dreams. He also entertained and amazed millions of people with his spectacular stunts. He was a legend in the world of daredevils and a hero to many. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends and fans.
