BOSWELL, Pa. —
On Saturday, as thick morning flurries blanketed the Boswell hills, dozens of brave and charitable swimmers lined up along the frigid bank of the Quemahoning Reservoir to experience the rush - and numbness - of the 2012 Laurel Highlands Polar Plunge.
Each year, the event petitions pledges to take a dip in the near-freezing Que, all for a noble cause - to fund the Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA), which allows some 20,000 intellectually disabled children and adults training and competition in Olympic sports.
This year, a Mardi Gras theme - replete with faux grass skirts and other colorful pageantry - offset the blustery, 20-degree temperatures. Hundreds of spectators and plungers alike milled around the campgrounds, jamming to live music by local musician Sam Coco and weighing in on the best costumes.
Others photographed the scenic vista of the Que while prospective plungers stared wistfully beyond the shoreline, awaiting certain icy doom.
Of course, trained and equipped rescue staff were on scene; they waded out to the edge of the Que’s safe zone beforehand. Scott Grahn of the Pennsylvania Boat & Fish Commission said the outfits worn by the rescue team could keep them swimming in icy waters for up to eight hours.
“They’re thermal-protected. They actually have Under Armour, they have a thin layer of fleece and then they have the outer garment. Now, they’re gonna’ feel some temperature drop but the core is always warm,” Grahn said.
For the majority of the plungers, whom were wearing just their skivvies, hypothermia can set in while immersed in water colder than 32 degrees in less than 15 minutes. Grahn said the team is prepared for ice rescues and swift water rescues, although other members said they’d never seen such a thing happen at the Plunge.
At 1 p.m., the moment of truth arrived. The first wave of plungers, led by a solemnful bagpiper, charged in with zeal. In seconds, it seemed any morale or bravado was perforated by dozens of chilling screams. Some dove in headfirst, others fell back to the nearby bonfire or a duffel bag full of dry clothes.
Johnstown Redevelopment Authority Board Member Brian Vuletich was among the first wave of plungers.
“It was a thrill and for a great cause. ... Any time you can do anything for Special Olympics, that’s a great thing,” Vuletich said.
The Special Olympics Opening Ceremony is Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in Central Park and the competition begins Monday at four area venues.
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