BUFFALO, N.Y. — The two Buffalo men who died after falling into the Niagara River and drowning were identified by police as Mario Guthrie, 29, and Scott Vater, 46.

Police received a 911 call around 4:37 p.m. Monday and within 15 minutes, the Buffalo Police Underwater Rescue and Recovery Team had arrived at Broderick Park and began trying to find the two men. Both men had been pulled from the water within an hour of the emergency call.

Captain Jeff Rinaldo said it appeared one man went into the water attempting to retrieve driftwood. Within a short time, that man was in trouble. The second man went into the water to try and rescue him. 

"We can't stress enough how dangerous this water is," Rinaldo said. "You can't swim in it." 

The two men died in the river near the same location where Lt. Craig Lehner went into the water during a training exercise last October. His body was recovered five days later. Rinaldo pointed to Lehner's status as an experienced, strong diver as proof that the water in the Niagara River isn't safe for anyone to enter.