Thousands brave chilly North Sea to celebrate the new year

SHOTLIST 1. Various of people running into the north sea in Belgium 2. Close of someone's feet splashing in the water 3. A man doing a dive bomb into the water 4. Helicopter flying over the area 5. Wide of group posing for a picture in the surf 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Kathrine Boterman, Belgian who took part: "It is the first time that we do it so we are happy with the temperature." 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Johan Zobbaert, Belgian who took part: "It is good to have training for next year's (swim). Or to go to Sweden or something." 8. Belgian coast guard boat in the water monitoring the swimmers, swimmers in foreground 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tanee Grade, Belgian who took part: "We are divers so actually we are used to this. But now it's very cold!" 10. Mid of swimmers in the water STORYLINE Thousands of people braved the cold on Saturday to take a plunge in the chilly waters of the North Sea. An estimated 6,000 people ran across the sand and into the water in Ostende, Belgium, to celebrate the new year . The Annual New Year's plunge was cancelled last year because of unsafe weather conditions, but on Saturday, the air was mild, reaching ten degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). Nevertheless, it was not an ideal swimming temperature. Tanee Grade is no stranger to cold water but was still feeling the effects. "We are divers so actually we are used to this. But now it's very cold," she said. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/a7dd120d38dd6c9176c6e275db2211f2 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork