Thousands of people braved frigid temperatures and wind-driven snow to jump into the Chesapeake Bay during the 14th annual Polar Bear Plunge - but the second of Saturday's scheduled dips in the water was canceled on doctors' orders.
Organizers for the event, a fundraiser for the Maryland Special Olympics, estimated that as many as 15,000 people took quick splashes in the water, which was about 36 degrees, during the first plunge at 1 p.m. Saturday. Air temperature hovered around 23 degrees.
"Last year I came and it wasn't as cold as this year," said Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who plunged with offensive tackle Adam Terry. "My head was hurting instantly. It definitely took my breath away."
Under advice from doctors monitoring the event, the organizers canceled the second plunge, scheduled for 3 p.m.
The event is the Maryland Special Olympics' largest fundraiser each year. Tom Schniedwind, a Special Olympics vice president, estimated that the event attracted 50,000 people - mostly spectators who came to watch and support those who jumped in the water. Each plunger had to raise at least $50 to participate .
"It's an amazing turnout," Schniedwind said. The organization hoped to raise $3 million. It took about 500 volunteers to run the plunge, which is the biggest one-day fundraiser in the state, he said.
State troopers were kept busy managing pedestrian and vehicle traffic, which took place at Sandy Point State Park near the western end of the Bay Bridge.
This year, the event used twice as many shuttle buses as last year to ferry participants from off-site parking at the U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.
The snow, wind and freezing temperatures slowed people and vehicles down, said State Police spokesman Greg Shipley. At one point, a shuttle bus got stuck on the main road at the park, blocking traffic coming and going for about 45 minutes before it could be moved.
"All of it was set to be perfect - and then the snow hit," Shipley said. "We've been trying to keep it moving as best we can."
The beach was transformed by large tents set up for food and drink stands, and places for the plungers to change, keep warm and buy memorabilia. The snow blew onto the beach and turned it into an arctic landscape, covering the sand as some ran barefoot and shirtless while others posed for pictures.
The plunge drew individuals and teams such as the Prince George's County Police Department's academy class - about 150 officers-in-training.
Nearly a dozen students from the U.S. Naval Academy, who belong to 21st Company, hit the water.
"I thought it was a blast," said Burch Thornley, 21, who graduates this year. "It was energizing - a lot of fun."
Shortly before 3 p.m., it was announced that the second plunge had been canceled on the advice of volunteer physicians from Johns Hopkins Hospital. Police divers from several area agencies formed a line in the water to keep people from jumping in.
State police officials said that several people from the 1 p.m. plunge had to be treated for weather exposure and hypothermia, and some were taken to area hospitals for follow-up treatment. An estimate of how many people were hospitalized was not immediately available.
"The feeling [of jumping in the freezing water] is indescribable," said Jennifer Embrey, 22, of Beltsville, who plunged with her boyfriend and a friend, Nicolette Powell, 23. The women, fully dressed, clung to each other to keep warm. "It's for a good cause, but we're ready to go home."