A BAND of about 40 hardy souls braved the chilly waters of the River Wharfe today to take part in a traditional New Year's Day swim in Otley.
Swimmers aged from nine to 73, cheered on by hundreds of spectators, swam a 20-metre stretch of the river beside Wharfemeadows Park, before clambering out.
The New Year's Day swim in the River Wharfe in Otley
Anne-Marie Sutton, 48, of Otley, completed the challenge alongside son Wilf, nine, and husband Josh Sutton, 50.
Wilf Sutton, nine, of Otley, was the youngest competitor in the River Wharfe swim
She said: "It was great to have my son doing it with me. "He said the hardest bit was getting out into the cold afterwards. It was good that it still went ahead this year."
The swim's oldest participant, Carole Deighton, 73, of Morley, was competing in her 21st swim in Otley.
Carole Deighton, 73, was the oldest competitor in the swim
She said: "The water was ice cold. It takes your breath away. The river seemed to be running a lot faster for this year's swim."
Fellow swimmer Declan Hehir, 19, originally of Otley, who is now training with the Royal Navy in Portsmouth, said: "It's the first time I've done it and it's a good bit of training for me in the Navy."
Most competitors felt the cold
The event was in doubt earlier in the week following the Boxing Day floods but was given the go-ahead by organisers on New Year's Eve.
Event organiser Stuart Tasker said: "It's good that it went ahead despite the floods last week.
"I can see a year when we get 50 people doing the swim."
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