32 photos from the Bon Soo polar bear swim

Just in case the St. Marys River wasn't cold enough, Mother Nature served up an additional dose of cold as frigid wind and snow whipped across the ice during this afternoon's annual Bon Soo polar bear swim.

Not favourable for the scantily-clad plungers, and even less favourable for hopeful photographers, near whiteout conditions and extreme wind chill made the beloved event more challenging than usual.

Ironically, the large crowd that gathered to cheer on our polar bear swimmers had to watch from shore since this unseasonably mild winter resulted in less than optimal ice conditions.

Second-year polar bear swim participant Tyler Jamieson told SooToday.com that simple curiosity was the deciding factor when he fist tried the event.

"I'm a big fan of adrenaline," he said. "It's a pretty big rush."

Jamieson, who wore a waterproof GoPro helmet cam during his icy plunge, did so to "give people a first-person view of what we go through."

He also told us that he'll definitely take part in the polar bear swim again.

Like many that participate annually, he's a lifer.