Polar Plunge Called Off Due To Arctic Blast

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hopes for a Polar Plunge along the lakefront melted away Monday morning, with organizers saying the arctic blast makes it too dangerous to be outside and in the water.

Potential plungers came to North Avenue Beach for the 11th annual Polar Plunge. However, their icy dip in the lake turned into a dry photo opp on the frozen beach.

"I'm not happy about it. But I was down by the lake and, gosh, if you were dropped in there, it'd take you 10 minutes to get out," said Jeff Coggins, President of American Greyhound. "Someone could get tissue damage -- heck, someone could die, and it's not worth that."

"We'll put it off and cross our fingers -- hope maybe later in the year it warms up a little bit," Coggins said, who made the call to postpone the plunge to a day when temperatures are above zero.

But not everyone agreed.

"It's Chicago. You got to enjoy the cold -- embrace it," said Mike Sinnow, who came out to plunge.

American Greyhound, which is based in Northwest Indiana and rescues retired racing greyhounds, still raised more than $17,000 without getting cold and wet.

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