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Lewes Polar Bears take advantage of mild weather to plunge

Nearly 70 Polar Bears took advantage of the mild New Years Day weather to take the plunge at the Cape Henlopen State Park. DAN COOK PHOTOS
Dan Cook
January 2, 2019

Nearly 70 people took advantage of the 60 degree weather and celebrated the new year with a 2019 plunge into the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Henlopen State Park.

Taking the plunge were Dale Johnson, Richard, Amanda and Gus Lantz, Dan and Austin MacElrevey, Jamie and Brayden Whitten, Jack, Will, Meredith, James, Lina and Suzannah Frederick, Bruce Egolf, Meggie Rooksby, George and Rebecca Pepper, Pat Backus, Shaun Palmer, Elaine and Christine Bristowe, Corey Hinde, Vicent and Jeff Buttillo, Kayanth Moore, Greg and Bryan Mack, Connie Miller, Autumn Davis, Clint and Mia Watts, Adam and Porter Marvin, Lindsay D’Ambrogi, Nikki Grillo,Sandy Kunz, Andre Strothers, Carl Moore, Tessa, Jack, Bill, Cannon and Raelee Lingo, DJ, Alison, Lelia and Daisey Hughes, Spencer Steele, James, Karen, Wendy and Tom Gusmer, Bob Hughes, Mike Ocksbig, Don Stein, Chris Gill, Jerry and Seager Davis, Troy Cannatelli, Max Coveleski, Erin, Gina and Keith Ricker, Lachian Murphy, Cara Bagley, Isaiah Gilmore, Brian, Jason, Jesse and Karen Zakarian Burns, Devin Medd and Jess Glover.

The first Lewes Polar Bear Plunge took place in 1982 with Polar Bears John Ellsworth, Dave Frederick, Dennis Forney, George Pepper and Tim Pfeiffer.

Nearly 70 Polar Bears took advantage of the mild New Years Day weather to take the plunge at the Cape Henlopen State Park. DAN COOK PHOTOS
Polar Bears run into the Atlantic Ocean.
Plungers sprint into the Atlantic during the New Year’s Day plunge.
Plungers run back to the beach.
The Polar Bears run out of the ocean to the warmer beach.
A chilly Nikki Grillo runs back to the beach.
Friends Connie Miller, left, and Bruce Egolf have been Polar Bears since the early 80’s.
Autumn Davis, center, sprints back to the warmth of her towel.
Keith Ricker, left, Dan MacElrevey and Dale Johnson run back to the beach.
Christine Bristowe feels the shock of the chilly ocean.
The family that plunges together (back row) Suzannah and Jack and (front l-r) Meredith,8, Lina,11, James,6, and Will,10, Frederick and their canines Shona and Booker.

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Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs. 

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