Hundreds take part in frigid Coney Island Polar Bear plunge
NEW YORK (AP) — The sky was sunny and the water was freezing at Coney Island, where several hundred people, cheered on by hundreds more, ran into the ocean Monday to mark the start of 2018.
While some dressed in dinosaur or penguin outfits, others wore nothing but underwear or bathing suits at the annual Coney Island New Year's Day Polar Plunge, a New York tradition since 1903.
"It started on my bucket list. It's a rush, a shock. It'll wake you up," said Louie Forte, 65, of Brooklyn, who took part in his seventh plunge. "This year is the coldest year yet."
With the temperature sitting at a frigid 17 degrees, (minus 8 Celsius) some said the water was warmer, at 37 degrees (almost 3 Celsius).