New Year's dip draws 5,000 participants to Belgian coast

More than 5,000 people joined in the annual New Year's dip in the North Sea at the weekend. Mayor of Ostend, Johan Vande Lanotte, kicked off the exceptionally warm 2016 edition, with a water temperature of more than 10°C, writes Het Laatste Nieuws.

"The temperature made it perfect, especially for those participing for the first time," said Peggy Scherpenberg, project manager at Golazo Sports, one of the organisers of the event. "It rained a lot on New Year's day, but today we had great weather and a calm sea... People were happy as they came out of the water."

As every year, after their dip in the sea, participants were offered a nip of gin and some soup to warm up.