Dozens brave sea for Hunstanton Christmas swim

The rain couldn’t dampen the festive spirit in Hunstanton today as dozens of fundraisers turned out for the resort’s annual Christmas Day swim.

Hundreds of supporters also watched on from the relative dry of the shore as swimmers, many donning suitably seasonal costumes, braved the chilly waters of the sea to take part in the traditional event.

This year’s swim was particularly poignant as it was staged in memory of Sean Sands, a long-time supporter of the event, who died in a kite-surfing accident off Hunstanton earlier this year.

Last month, officials from the Hunstanton Round Table, who organise the swim, announced that the East Anglian Air Ambulance and the RNLI would be the main beneficiaries of the swim’s proceeds.

The decision was taken in recognition of the help they gave to Mr Sands after he got into difficulty off the coast of the town in March.

Ahead of the event, officials had been hoping that the recent mild weather might encourage more people to head into the sea.

Organiser Neil Wells said: “It’s a great event. The number seems to increase every year. I’m sure we’ll get a good turnout.”