More than 100 take the plunge in Tiverton to mark new year

TIVERTON — This was a gathering of the brave and regretful.

Just ask Seth Aguiar, age 11.

He was clad only in surf shorts on Fogland Beach on Tuesday morning. The thermometer said the air was 55 degrees, but with a 30 mph wind blowing over 37 degree water, it felt colder than that.

At the strike of noon, he would run into that water to swim.

Why?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I think maybe it is pretty stupid.”

His brother, Shane Aguiar, age 8, laughed and nodded. He was shivering in surf shorts too. He was destined for the water as well.

“Yep,” he said. “Stupid.”

That sentiment and laughter prevailed at Fogland as the Tiverton Yacht Club held its annual Penguin Plunge to raise money for the Tiverton library.

More than 100 people lined up a short distance from the surf line as Greg Jones, the yacht club commodore, stood with his feet in the water, counting down to noon.

At the strike of 12, a gun was fired and the swimmers became runners, screaming a battle cry as they headed toward the cold.

Oliver Roy, age 3, was one of them. He ran into the water past his knees, turned around and ran back to his mother, Rachel Roy. She wrapped him in a blanket and kissed his cheek. His father Wes Roy and his brother Max, age 6, continued into the water, dove once and ran out.

“It was good,” Max said. “It was cold.”

Caiden Palazio, age 9, was planning for his first plunge with his father, Joe Palazio.

“I don’t know,” he said before noon. “I think it will be cold.”

He proved himself correct. He ran into the water and dove and then popped back up, looking for his father.

“It’s cold,” he shouted. And he ran for shore.

Annalise Lough, age 14, agreed.

“I’m doing this because it is cold and it is a tradition and it is cold,” she said. “Plus, it is cold.

“But it is a great way to wake you up for the new year.”

But not everyone was put off by the air temperature.

Ray Melanson jumps in the water every year on New Year’s Day. He always was accompanied by his father, Paul Melanson. But his father died 10 days ago, so Ray Melanson wore a hat that said, RIP Dad.

“I’m doing it for him, plus I like it,” he said. “I even went last year when it was 10 degrees. It was great.

“The colder the better.”

Email Kevin P. O’Connor at koconnor@heraldnews.com.