Smaller crowd, colder water for annual Polar Bear Club plunge

PITTSBURGH — Dozens of people got a bitter cold wake-up call to start the new year as they jumped into the Monongahela River during the annual Pittsburgh Polar Bear Club Plunge.

“That might have been the worst thing I’ve ever done,” Brian Hallas, one of the jumpers, said.

With wind chills near zero and the river covered in a thin sheet of ice, more paramedics were on hand this year to ensure everyone was safe. River rescue was also on standby.

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Plunge veteran Frank Nelson has not missed a jump in 53 years.

He said the crowd was smaller, and it’s only the third time he remembers volunteers breaking up ice on the river before people could jump.

Most people spent just a few seconds immersed in the icy water before they ran out to bundle up again.

“Basically, I jumped in, had the rope in my hand,” Frank Schlatterer, another participant, said. “They helped you out. They were on top of it from a safety perspective, and everyone had their things together."

Many of the jumpers raised money for charity.

Cox Media Group