Thousands in Belgium participate in 'New Year's Dive'

By Dursun Aydemir

OSTEND, Belgium (AA) - Nearly 5,000 people on Saturday took part in the traditional "New Year's Dive" in Belgium to celebrate the new year.

Gathering at the coastal city of Ostend, thousands of participants also did some warm-up exercises before the traditional New Year's swim.

When the clock hit the 3 p.m. local time (1400GMT), some 5,000 people, including children, started to run toward the sea from a 200-meter (656-feet) distance.

Some participants immediately got out of the water, while others stayed in much longer despite the cold weather.

Meanwhile, ambulances were ready in the area in case of possible emergency.