AN estimated record breaking 3,000 turned out for Pembrey Cefn Sidan beach 27th annual Walrus Dip with more than 700 of them dashing into the freezing frothy sea.
The oldest Dipper was 83-year-old Robert Edwards dressed as Santa and the youngest Sadie Matthews aged five carried by her Mum Hannah into the waves both dressed as Santa’s elves.
They were joined by a colourful posse of festive revellers dressed in various guises ranging from Jack Sparrow to the Happy Feet penguins all the way from Merthyr Tydfil. There were a number of brave bikini clad women and several even more daring mankini clad males.
Chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council counted down the charge to the sea and joined in the fun and frolics raising more than £2,000 for his nominated charities, the Teenage Cancer Trust and the British Heart Foundation as a thank you his successful triple heart by-pass operation six years ago.
RNLI onshore marshalls stood up to their armpits in pounding surf and the Burry Port lifeboat was on station as hundreds crashed into the waves to claim their “I Did It” Walrus Dip certificates.
The popular event which has only failed to run twice since conceived in 1984 (once because of icy seas and another time because of a tanker oil spill) is growing in popularity with innovative dippers.
An estimated £200,000 has been raised for worth charities by the intrepid dippers with the kiddies’ cancer Latch being the main beneficiary.
Happy Feet fancy dress duo Karon Esposito and Dawn Jones raised £600 for the Albert Brown Haemophiliac Unit at the University Hospital of Wales Heath Hospital, Cardiff.
Husband and wife team Debbie and John Price dressed as Showtime Dances to heighten the profile of Dance Kingdom in Llanelli.
John said: “We try and come up with something daft every year. We love it and so does everyone else. It sets the seal on Christmas for us and is so much fun in the planning.”
The Matron of Y Bwthyn Home Heike Clarke was joined by a number of her staff dressed in Denny Twp lookalike outfits raising funds for the home amenity fund.
Park manager Rory Dickinson said: “It never ceases to amaze me how popular and how much fun this event is. It is one of the best attended Walrus Dips we have ever had. It just seems to be the traditional thing to do for the brave and hardy to shake off the excesses of Christmas Day feasting.”
More than 600 vehicles clocked into the park in less than an hour before the Dip.
Afterwards the beach kiosks and Sidan Cafe did a roaring trade in hot soups to revive those chilled by the sea.
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