Are there deaths or non fatal incidents , resulting from the polar bear plunge/dip?

I know when there’s a Polar Bear Plunge, the ambulance is always standing by.

Well, of course, all arctic and antarctic animals are acclimated for their biomes. Some with a kind of antifreeze in their blood, and various other adaptations from their more temperate-climate oriented counterparts.

Although they are LAND animals, Polar bears spend MOST of their time in water, even in open ocean, iceberg to iceberg, ice floe to ice floe—eating fish, but often times are ravenously hungry when they reach land.

And by the way, they DO live on land. Polar Ice melting is more of a threat to global ocean levels than to polar bears’ living space, because that would be the land. Ocean levels could rise and make less land, but melting ice doesn’t mean they’ll drown.

So, no deaths or incidents form the plunge. They are adapted for it.

@Yellowdog I don’t think you know what the polar bear plunge is. It is humans diving into the ocean in the winter, often to raise money for a cause.

I’ve witnessed a few and had friends who’ve done it and not seen any bad effects. That doesn’t mean there is no risk of course.

Inthe ones I’ve seen, they only stay in for a few seconds.

egad. Thanks. My embarrassment. I can still edit-redact, but I won’t. Let my ignorance stand etched in stone for all to see, for all time.

Thanks for the correction, @janbb and apologies to others,

There are thousands of non fatal incidents related to polar bear plunges each winter, usually marked by people getting cold and wet and desiring hot soup or a cup of hot coffee or hot tea.

I had heard of a few heart attacks .( probably the health of the person wasn’t up to the exercise?

I’m thinking heart attack from the shock of the freezing water.

@zenvelo please post link of source. Thounsands per what by the way? Is it since it started?

@flo. Here is a link to a story of over 7,100 non fatal incidents where people got cold. https://www.sonj.org/partners/law-enforcement-torch-run/special-events/polar-plunges/

I don’t see that the way you do.