EXCELSIOR — Almost 800 people from around the U.S. and world plunged into chilly Lake Minnetonka to welcome the New Year.
Organizers of the 23rd annual ALARC Ice Dive say it was a frigid 9 degrees, with a water temperature of 31.7 degrees, when the hearty divers took to the water at 8:30 Tuesday morning near the Bay Side Event Center in Excelsior.
Divers came from Minnesota as well as numerous U.S. states and from Italy, Brazil, Germany, Thailand and elsewhere. Twenty-one divers achieved "Shark" status for successfully completing 10 years of dives, while three divers including founder Bill Wenmark were recognized for at least 20 years of dives.
The event benefits a handful of local charities.
