A MOM who tragically died after plunging from the Niagara Falls may have pushed her children first before jumping to her death, cops have claimed.
Crews are urgently searching roaring waters for the bodies of Chianti Means, 33, nine-year-old Roman Rossman, and five-month-old Mecca Means.
Chaianti Means, pictured, jumped off the Niagra Falls along with her two kids[/caption]
Cops are searching the roaring waters outside Buffalo, New York, for Means and her sons Roman Rossman, nine, and Mecca Means, five months[/caption]
Means, who was from Niagara Falls, outside Buffalo, New York, scaled the guard rails with her children on Monday, the police department said.
Security footage of Luna Park where the tragedy took place shows the two children going over the railings before the mum, cops say.
James O’Callaghan, staff from the State Park Police, said that it appeared as if the mum was not chasing her children when they fell to their deaths.
He said in a press conference: “We believe this was intentional.
“Not going to get into what the witnesses saw because it’s still an active case, but it is alarming what they told us.”
Means, who was from Niagara Falls, outside Buffalo, New York, scaled the guard rails with her children on October 28.
Officers went to Goat Island at around 9pm on Monday night and started to search for the mom.
They later discovered all three members of the family were missing and believed they had fallen into the water below.
Cops said that they were sweeping the area thoroughly to search for the mum and her children’s bodies.
The New York Marine Patrol, Aviation and Underwater Recovery Units are all assisting in the hunt.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems have also been deployed by New York State police.
However, there has been no sign of any bodies so far, sparking fears that their bodies may never be found.
Many of those who have jumped to their deaths in Niagara Falls or fallen in by accident have never been recovered from the bottom of the waterfall, over which 3,610 tons of water rage every second.
SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION
Means went by Diamond Scott online and was active on Facebook, posting lighthearted messages about love and dating just days before jumping from the falls.
However, at the beginning of October, the mom shared now-heartbreaking messages about death.
“You have to hold on to the ones you love,” she wrote in the tragic post.
“Never know when you might lose them.”
Days before this, she opened up about relationship issues, saying, “I wish someone would love me because the man that’s supposed to does not.”
In the post’s comments, she said she would be “cold & lonely all winter.”
In another post shared a few days later, she wrote, “Everyone please leave me alone I’m in love with my daughter’s father.
“I want my family back. Respectfully, idgaf what I said about him before or what anyone else thinks.”
Cousin Bierra Hamilton told the New York Post that Means had been suffering from postpartum depression.
“Her death wasn’t over a man. My cousin was silently fighting depression alone,” she added.
The U.S. Sun spoke with a friend of Means, Amanda Roberts-Conrad, who said the two last connected at her son’s birthday party in summer 2023.
Means brought her son and her nephew to the celebration, and the trio had tons of fun playing in a bouncy castle together.
However, in recent months, Means had been having relationship troubles and was struggling, Roberts-Conrad claimed.
The U.S. Sun approached the New York State Police to see if they were investigating this issue, but they didn’t have a comment.
‘KIND AND BEAUTIFUL’
Chaianti, a mom of three, worked as a domestic violence counselor, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Roberts-Conrad first met Means in 2012 when they got pregnant at the same time.
She remembers the mom as a great friend who always had comforting words when Roberts-Conrad was struggling.
“Diamond was kind and beautiful. I will remember her as such,” Roberts-Conrad said.
The friend slammed anyone who has been posting nasty words about Means instead of considering young mothers’ mental health issues.
“It makes me so sad to see people paint her a type of way,” she said.
“We need to bring more awareness to postpartum depression and possibly more safety down by the falls.
“This is a common occurrence in my city. It’s gut-wrenching.
“It really is a terrible loss.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
