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Friday, 29 March 2024

Italians dive into the icy waters of the Tiber River to celebrate the arrival of 2020

Duration: 02:28s 0 shares 1 views

Italians dive into the icy waters of the Tiber River to celebrate the arrival of 2020
Italians dive into the icy waters of the Tiber River to celebrate the arrival of 2020

Amateur divers including 67-year-old Maurizio Palmulli brave the chilly waters of the River Tiber in Rome in the traditional New Year's Day event.

SHOWS: ROME, ITALY (JANUARY 1, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.

DIVER JUMPING FROM BRIDGE INTO TIBER RIVER AND SWIMMING 2.

MEDIA AND PEOPLE ON CAVOUR BRIDGE 3.

DIVER JUMPING FROM BRIDGE INTO RIVER / ITALIAN FLAG ON WATER 4.

PEOPLE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS 5.

DIVER JUMPING FROM BRIDGE INTO RIVER AND SWIMMING 6.

(SOUNDBITE) (Italian) VETERAN DIVER MAURIZIO PALMULLI, KNOWN AS "MR. O.K.", SAYING: "At the beginning, there is a bit of adrenaline because it is a big jump.

Today is January 1st and the water temperature is around 4 or 5 degrees.

Clearly the adrenaline rises, but it is an immense pride for me, a citizen of Rome, to do something that goes around the world.

I'm proud.

Thanks to you, who are here every year with me and allow me to say these things.

Thanks and best wishes to all." 7.

VETERAN DIVER MAURIZIO PALMULLI, ALSO KNOWN AS "MR. O.K.", JUMPING FROM BRIDGE / PALMULLI BEING PULLED ONTO RESCUE BOAT/ PALMULLI GREETING CROWD 8.

CAVOUR BRIDGE STORY: Romans braved a cold but sunny New Year's day on Wednesday (January 1) to watch a group of men throw themselves off a bridge in Rome into the freezing waters of the Tiber river.

The annual Tiber Dive has been celebrated on the first day of the New Year since 1946.

This year four divers took the plunge, some with more style than others, plummeting off the 30-metre Cavour bridge in the centre of the Italian capital.

Veteran diver Maurizio Palmulli, known as Mr. O.K., traditionally took his place for the final dive, saluting the crowd after being pulled from the water onto a rescue boat.

"The adrenaline rises, but it is an immense pride for me, a citizen of Rome, to do something that goes around the world.

I'm proud," the 67-year-old said.

(Production: Gabriele Pileri, Oriana Boselli)

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