Hundreds of citizens defied local leaders and took part in a New Year’s Day tradition in Surf City, North Carolina.
They stripped down to their bathing suits and took a dip in the Atlantic Ocean.
The annual event had been canceled because of the China Virus.
They used to call it the Dolphin Dip, but this year they dubbed it the “Freedom Plunge.”
“They tried to cancel it but we had it any way,” one participant said as he jumped into the frigid water waving the American flag. “This is all for freedom.”
“We’ve gotta do it. We can’t let our regular life be taken away,” he said. “The town of Surf City definitely showed out today.”