04:43Hundreds of spectators gathered at Rome's Ponte Cavour to watch daredevils perform the traditional New Year's plunges into the Tiber River on Monday.
Footage shows three divers throwing themselves off the bridge into the river during the annual spectacle, while spectators watched from the riverbank and boats.
"I have been jumping for fifteen years. Today, the jump was greater than 20 metres. To be honest, I've had a tremendous blow to the head. But it is always beautiful, exciting, fascinating. It is unique," Simone Carabella, one participant, admitted.
The tradition was reportedly started by a Belgian man of Italian descent, Rick De Sonnay, on January 1 in 1946. He earned the nickname 'Mister OK' for raising his fingers in the well-known gesture to confirm he had not been harmed after the jump.
Mister OK's successor, Maurizio Palmoli did not take part this year due to health issues. "After 35 years, unfortunately, I had to give up for a moment. But the boys were very brave and continued this unmissable tradition," he commented after against making the leap.
Leap of faith! Daredevils take traditional New Year's plunge into Rome's Tiber River
Hundreds of spectators gathered at Rome's Ponte Cavour to watch daredevils perform the traditional New Year's plunges into the Tiber River on Monday.
Footage shows three divers throwing themselves off the bridge into the river during the annual spectacle, while spectators watched from the riverbank and boats.
"I have been jumping for fifteen years. Today, the jump was greater than 20 metres. To be honest, I've had a tremendous blow to the head. But it is always beautiful, exciting, fascinating. It is unique," Simone Carabella, one participant, admitted.
The tradition was reportedly started by a Belgian man of Italian descent, Rick De Sonnay, on January 1 in 1946. He earned the nickname 'Mister OK' for raising his fingers in the well-known gesture to confirm he had not been harmed after the jump.
Mister OK's successor, Maurizio Palmoli did not take part this year due to health issues. "After 35 years, unfortunately, I had to give up for a moment. But the boys were very brave and continued this unmissable tradition," he commented after against making the leap.
Hundreds of spectators gathered at Rome's Ponte Cavour to watch daredevils perform the traditional New Year's plunges into the Tiber River on Monday.
Footage shows three divers throwing themselves off the bridge into the river during the annual spectacle, while spectators watched from the riverbank and boats.
"I have been jumping for fifteen years. Today, the jump was greater than 20 metres. To be honest, I've had a tremendous blow to the head. But it is always beautiful, exciting, fascinating. It is unique," Simone Carabella, one participant, admitted.
The tradition was reportedly started by a Belgian man of Italian descent, Rick De Sonnay, on January 1 in 1946. He earned the nickname 'Mister OK' for raising his fingers in the well-known gesture to confirm he had not been harmed after the jump.
Mister OK's successor, Maurizio Palmoli did not take part this year due to health issues. "After 35 years, unfortunately, I had to give up for a moment. But the boys were very brave and continued this unmissable tradition," he commented after against making the leap.