Niagara Rivers Claims Two Victims Who Tried To Retrieve Driftwood For Furniture Making

Two men have drowned in the Niagara River - one who tried to retrieve a piece of driftwood, the other who jumped in to save him from the lethal current.

Mario Guthrie, 29, climbed into the notoriously dangerous water at Broderick Park in Buffalo with the intention of collecting a large piece of wood.

When he began to struggle, 46-year-old Scott Vader dove in to help him.

Vader, however, was ultimately drowned along with the man he tried rescue when he failed keep both himself and Guthrie - who was desperately holding onto him - afloat.

The tragic event was witnessed by bystanders, who hung out a stick in an attempt to help the duo but could not reach them.

Captain Jeff Rinaldo, from Buffalo Police Department, said even experienced swimmers should not jump in the water, recalling the death less than a year ago of police diver Craig Lehner.