A long weekend hike went horribly wrong when a woman slipped and tumbled down the cliffs and into the Niagara Whirlpool.

It happened around 3 p.m. Friday when Alicia Kirkwood and her boyfriend Brad Sawyer were hiking the trails in the lower Niagara River Gorge.

Since May 18th the family has been spending their days in the gorge desperately searching for Alicia. Police and coast guards on both sides of the border have teamed up to help.

Niagara Parks police say these incidents are rare, however they do still happen despite the warning signs posted in the area.