Last year air temperatures were in the 50's when ECU students braved the waters of the outdoor rec pool for the Polar Bear Plunge. They weren't as lucky this year as the mercury was below freezing.
The 17th annual Polar Bear Plunge Wednesday night saw plenty of students jumping in the frigid waters. Waters temperatures were in the low 40's.
WITN was live throughout the evening and showed the first jump live during WITN News at 6:00 p.m.
The first 1,100 jumpers got a free event T-shirt. Students were also be entered into a drawing for prizes.
The Polar Bear Plunge started at ECU in 1997 as part of the grand opening of the Student Recreation Center when 35 participants took the plunge. The event has grown annually, breaking records each year since 2010. Last year, 1,008 jumpers participated. This year there were 1,095, another record.
