Chilly dip ‘blows cobwebs off’
Brazilian exchange student Bruna Lemberg now has another cool Canadian experience to take home with her — and it’s not one she’d like to repeat. The 17-year-old, who’s currently attending school in Penticton, was among the approximately 50 hearty souls who dunked themselves in Okanagan Lake on Sunday during the Summerland Kinsmen Club’s annual Polar Bear Dip at Sun-Oka Beach.
“I felt like I was going to die, but I had to do it,” said a smiling — and shivering — Lemberg as she warmed up on shore afterwards.
Another first-timer, Ben Outtan, 7, of Summerland, had an equally chilling experience.
“I fell face-first into the water, then my head was hurting. It was horrible,” said Outtan, whose buddy backed out of the event, leaving him to go it alone.
For his bravery, he won a prize from the Kinsmen for being the youngest boy in the water. Taljah Hudson, 7, also of Summerland, was the youngest girl.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Naramata man Barry Bates, 74, was honoured as the oldest participant. He seemed to enjoy himself more than the younger set.
“It’s great. It’s nice and cold,” said Bates, who figured it was his 12th polar bear swim.
“It blows the cobwebs off — good start to the year.”
Keeping watch over the swimmers were nine members of Penticton Search and Rescue, plus several paramedics, all there to ensure the safety of the participants, who plunged into water that was measured beforehand at a brisk 1 C.
Despite the precautions, PENSAR president Dale Jorgensen said the risks associated with a quick dip in cold water are “fairly minimal.”
“If people were going out to swim, that would be a whole different ball game, but most people are probably just going up to their waist and just in and out of the water,” he said, cautioning such a plunge is nonetheless not recommended for those with heart problems.
Jorgensen took to the water in an immersion suit and has no desire to try the dip without it.
“I do not like cold water myself,” he said with a laugh, “so I dress accordingly.”