City swimmers brave chilly Amsterdam canals

amsterdam city swimSome 20 swimmers in the Amsterdam City Swim developed signs of hypothermia during Sunday’s charity fundraising event and several were taken to hospital for checks, the fire brigade said on Sunday evening.

Around 2,200 people took part in the two-kilometre swim through the city to raise money for the muscle disease ALS.

The temperature in the canals had dropped to around 16.5 degrees because of the recent heavy rain. During the swim, the organisers shortened the route for some competitors because of the cold. ‘The health of the swimmers is paramount,’ the organisation said.

Olympic gold medalist Pieter van den Hoogenband, marathon swimmer Maarten van der Weijden and television presenter Sophie Hilbrand were among those taking part.

This year’s swim, the fourth to take place, raised at least €1.6m for the charity.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation