Local News
Hundreds Brave Cold For Boxing Day Dip
Hundreds of brave fund raisers have once again taken part in Redcar's 45th Boxing Day Dip.
An estimated two hundred and fifty people of all ages entered the freezing cold North Sea in order to raise money for their own good causes. The event was organised by the Rotary Club of Redcar.
The event began with a procession to the sea, led by a piper. Large crowds of up to two thousand people on The Esplanade then stood and watched as the mass of dippers waded into the water and dived into the waves. Some participants wore warm clothing including festive onesies, whilst others wore fancy dress and even skimpy bathing costumes. At this time of year the temperature of the water is about 5 celcius, and whilst some hardy dippers spent up to fifteen minutes in the water, the majority were keen to return to dry land and warm up as quickly as possible.
The Redcar RNLI lifeboat was on hand to deal with any emergencies, however Dave Cocks from the organisation (who provided our photographs of the event) said that the event passed without incident.
Money raised by dippers was for their own charities, with Redcar Rotary Club only taking a registration fee in order to cover the costs of insurance, road closures etc.
Last years event raised over £15,000 for local and national charities and it is hoped that the total will be even higher this year.