The approximate 90-foot plunge into the Niagara Gorge at Niagara Falls State Park earlier this week that killed a mother and critically injured her 5-year-old son is being investigated as a possible suicide, according to a recent news report.
Officials said the preliminary investigation suggests the unidentified 34-year-old mother from Illinois intentionally jumped into the gorge with her son on Feb. 13, The Buffalo News reports, citing New York State Police.
The boy, who was said to be “stable” at the scene, was taken by EMS workers to a local hospital, where he was being treated for a head injury, New York State Parks Police Captain Chris Rola said at a press conference on Monday. His condition, which was described as critical, was unknown as of Friday.
His mother, however, died near the bottom of the gorge.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Rola said the woman and her child had been at the park with her husband before they fell into the gorge, but authorities were unaware of what happened before the pair fell. They were reportedly interviewing him, along with other witnesses at the scene.
“The investigation is ongoing, but we don’t believe it is an accident,” the captain told the media on Monday.
Officials said they weren’t releasing the victims’ names because the case is being investigated as a suicide, and they were still unsure why the out-of-towners were in the area.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.