The Polar Bears brave the cold 北極熊頂著寒冬

Hundreds of New Yorkers bravely splashed into cold ocean waters to start the new year in early January, including one man who ended up in a hospital.

Louie Scarcella, spokesman for the Coney Island Polar Bears, said the one man who was taken to Coney Island Hospital was not a member of the club, but just one of the 200 or so people who joined the 80 club members to take the yearly jump into the 9°C Atlantic Ocean waters.

The yearly swim raises money for a charity, Camp Sunshine, which takes care of seriously sick children and their families. This year, the swim raised US$25,000 (NT$800,000).

The turnout was less than the 500 people who swam last year.

Scarcella blamed the weather, saying, "Some people don't like the rain." Scarcella did not know how the one swimmer was injured. A hospital spokeswoman would not say much about his health.(AP)

一月初，數百名紐約客勇敢地跳進冰冷的海水展開新的一年，其中一名男子最後被送進醫院。

科尼島北極熊俱樂部發言人路易．史卡席拉表示，被送到往科尼島醫院的男子不是俱樂部的會員，只是一起參這場年度盛會的兩百多名民眾的其中一位，他們與八十名俱樂部會員一起縱身跳入攝氏九度的大西洋海水中。

這場年度游泳盛會是為照顧重病兒童和他們家庭的慈善團體「陽光營」募款，今年的游泳籌募到了兩萬五千美元（新台幣八十萬元）。

今年參與人數少於去年參加游泳的五百人次。

史卡席拉怪罪天氣，指出「有些人不喜歡下雨」。史卡席拉不知道這名泳客如何受傷。醫院女發言人對這名泳客的健康情況不願多做表示。



（美聯社╱翻譯︰鄭湘儀）