Most New Year's Day Polar Bear Swims are just wacky fun, but yesterday, a Manhattan man was injured during the swim. Thirty-two year old Mohan Seneviruten suffered a neck injury and is in stable condition at Lutheran Hospital. His father arrived from Connecticut, asking, "What was he doing?" A witness told the Post, "It looked like he just dove head-first into a wave. When he didn't come up, people grabbed him." The Daily News described the water he dove into as shallow and Seneviruten was treated by paramedics on the beach. I
Seneviruten, who works for Hearst, is not a member of the Polar Bear Club - many of the swimmers during the New Year's dip are not members. The Polar Bear Club raised $25,000 for Camp Sunshine with yesterday's swim.
Photograph of other Polar Bear Club revelers during yesterday's swim by Seth Wenig/AP
