PHOTOS: Brave souls ring in 2015 with Polar Bear Swim in Kal Lake

VERNON – Roughly 100 brave souls charged into the frigid waters of Kalamalka Lake Thursday as part of the annual New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim.

Participants flung off their towels and jackets in -6 C weather and ran into the icy waters while supporters waited on the beach with towels.

Swimmers high-fived and embraced each other triumphantly. Due to crusted ice on the shoreline, some participants cut themselves and were treated by paramedics at the scene. There were no serious injuries however, and smiles were seen all around.

All proceeds from the event will go to the Zimbabwe Project, which supports communities with a variety of projects.

Some swimmers participated in a costume contest. The winner wore a bright yellow morph suit with festive 2015 glasses. Aside from being stylish, perhaps it also had wet suit capabilities?

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.