Mum and two children die after jumping off Niagara Falls

Officials believe the fall was intentional

Authorities responded to the incident near Goat Island on Monday at 9pm after a passerby reported people crossing into the Falls.

A search was immediately launched for Chaianti Means, 33, and her kids Roman Rossman, 9, and five-month-old Mecca Means.

All three family members are still reported missing and believed to have fallen into the water below.

There has been no sign of the family or bodies so far as per investigators with the New York Marine Patrol, Aviation and Underwater Recovery Units all aiding in the hunt.

Drones have also been employed to help locate the family who are believed to have all lived together in Niagara Falls. 

Chaianti was employed as a domestic violence counsellor and attended the University at Buffalo, according to her social media profiles.

Tributes have since poured in for the mum of three following the tragic incident.

One of Chaianti's friends said: "I can’t even bare to write a post about her and share memories.

"I am literally sick to my stomach and I can’t even deal with the emotions I am feeling.

"Just know her and her children are dearly loved by me and my children."

A second friend wrote on Facebook: "You really never know what anybody is going through….RIP."

Only last February, in a similar incident, a mum died after falling 90 feet into the Niagara Gorge with her five-year-old son.

Miraculously the child survived the fall as an investigation was launched to establish what may have caused the fall

Chris Rola, New York State Parks Police Captain, told reporters at the time that police did not believe it was an accident.