Disturbing story behind photo of couple posing by Niagara Falls

A photo of a couple posing by the Niagara Falls has resurfaced online.

If you didn't know the story behind it, then it could be mistaken for simply being an adoring photo of two lovebirds, albeit one of them being Batman...or at least donning a replica shirt of the superhero's emblem.

It's actually a lot more disturbing than that.

Horseshoe falls on the Canadian Side of Niagara Falls. (Getty stock image)

Let's rewind back to 2011, 14 August to be precise.

Japanese student Ayano Tokumasu visited the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls with her classmates from the Hansa Language Centre, in Toronto.

She posed for a picture that her friend was taking, but decided to push the boundaries and so sat on the safety barrier - with the thought that it would make for a better photo.

Police who studied the surveillance footage from the visitor's center nearby witnessed the event unfold.

The 20-year-old was holding an umbrella while sitting with one leg either side of the arm rail while looking down at the falls.

But tragedy struck when she attempted to climb back over the railing, it was then that she appeared to lose her balance and slipped into the water by the edge of the Horseshoe Falls and into the water below.

A couple pose for a picture while Tokumasu can be seen straddling the railings behind them in a red jumper. (r/lastimages/Reddit)

Tokumasu's body was discovered four days later at 10am floating on the New York side of the lower Niagara River at by staff at Cave of the Winds, a park attraction.

Speaking at the time, Niagara Parks Police Chief Doug Kane said: “We have received information from the State Parks Police confirming that the found remains from yesterday are those of the missing student that fell into the river last Sunday."

Her family decided against speaking publicly about the incident, although Masaya Otsuka, a diplomat at the Japanese consulate-general in Toronto spoke about it on their behalf.

Otsuka said per the Toronto Star: “Of course, this is a big tragedy for the family, too.

Ayano Tokumasu was from Toyohashi, a city in Japan. (Facebook)

"The family is receiving a big shock.”

According to her Facebook profile, Tokumasu hailed from Toyohashi, which was located around 250km to the southwest of Japan's capital city, Tokyo.

Tokumasu was not the last fatality to come from those who went over the falls.

In 2017, Kirk Jones died on the US side of the water after attempting to go down inside an inflatable ball but unfortunately he had fallen out of it and he died in the process.

Jones decided to go down after he became the first person to survive the falls without any aid on 22 October, 2003.