Despite insanely frigid temps, Polar Bears take annual Coney Island plunge
Hundreds head to icy Coney Island waters
Even an actual arctic polar bear may have questioned the plunge into the frigid Coney Island waves, as the thermometer hovered around 17 degrees with a water temperature of 37 degrees on New Year’s Day.
But leave it to the brave and stout-hearted individuals who did not hesitate to step out of their parkas and long johns and don swimsuits to participate in the annual New Year’s Day Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge.
The bitter cold temperatures kept the crowd down to around a 1,000 with hundreds more cheering them on from the shore. Some attendees may have been encouraged by the sunshine, shrugging it off as “not so bad.” Others, however, were noticeably shaken by the cold and salty surf.