William “Red” Hill was a Canadian who had served in WWI. During his four years of service in France, he had been gassed and wounded. He was awarded at least two medals for bravery and returned to Canada severely malnourished and underweight. At the age of 54, he would succumb to the effects of the gassing.
His story, though, is one of heroics, bravery, and being a bit of a daredevil. It all began when he was eight-years-old and he rescued his sister from their burning home. This is when he received his first medal for bravery. Throughout his life, he would receive more medals and commendations for saving “28 lives and the recovery of 177 accident and suicide victims from the Niagara River just below the Falls.”1
Reading a bit of his biography, it seems that he kept the stunts to a minimum and spent the bulk of his daredevil ambitions rescuing others. His son, William “Red” Hill, Jr. had big shoes to fill, and he felt the pressure.
Junior helped his dad with the rescue of the 28 plus pulled out another 28 on his own. While rescuing the 177, Junior helped with 117 of those rescues. Once his dad died, Junior tried desperately to either match or break some of his dad’s stunt records. Junior wasn’t trying to best his dad. From all accounts, it seems that he was trying to honor his dad and continue the family legacy.
“The dream of a memorial to Red Hill Sr. weighed heavily on the shoulders of Red Hill Jr. It was because of this unfulfilled desire that Hill Jr. began planning to ride over the Horseshoe Falls.
“At age 38, Red Hill Jr. set his date with destiny for August 5th 1951. Due to the lack of funds and support, Hill Jr. had to build a very cheap barrel. Hill Jr. constructed “the Thing”. It was a contraption consisting of thirteen large heavy duty inner tubes lashed together by 8 cm wide canvass webbing. These were then encased in heavy gauge fish netting. Hill Jr. painted his contraption silver with the words “The Thing” inscribed around the tube.
“The tube was launched at 1:30 p.m. from Ushers Creek, which is approximately 3.2 km upstream from the Horseshoe Falls. At 3:30 p.m. the tube with Red Hill Jr. inside rode through the upper rapids and over The Horseshoe Falls. The Thing was caught under the extreme pressure of the falling water and broke apart. It was two minutes before parts of
the rubber tubes began to surface, but no sign of Red Hill Jr. The silence was shattered by Hill Junior’s mother frantic cry for him. Hill Junior’s wife and ten year old daughter joined his mother for the long vigils while his brothers: Major, Norman & Wesley searched for his body.
“The next morning the battered body of William Red Hill Jr. drifted near the Maid of the Mist dock. The lower part of his body was badly mangled and his forehead had a large laceration. He was buried the following Thursday at Fairview Cemetery in Niagara Falls, Ontario.”2
Junior made the mistake that many of us make. He tried to compare himself to someone else and to carry on a legacy that wasn’t his to carry. Paul warned in 2 Corinthians 10:12, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
While it seems that some families have generations doing the same occupation or owning the same business, I have to wonder how many of those wanted to do that and others felt that they had no choice.
Christian, God has made us as an individual, not a clone of someone else. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” We all have an individualized plan for our lives prepared before the foundation of the earth. While there may be some families through whom God perpetuates a certain purpose or occupation, this is not typically the case. God has created us with a purpose in mind and that is the plan to which we need to ascribe.
And, while we need to be good examples for others to follow, we cannot compare ourselves to each other. Doing so makes the standard a fallible, fleshly pattern. Even the best person we know isn’t perfect and cannot be followed 100% of the time without question.
If there is anyone we want to live up to, if there is anyone we say that we want to be like “when we grow up,” let’s make it Jesus. Jesus is the pattern and perfect example for us all. That is God’s intent.
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29)
1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_%22Red%22_Hill_Sr.#Niagara_daredevil
2https://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/niagara-falls-history/niagara-falls-tourism-history/daredevils-of-niagara-falls/william-red-hill-jr/
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