Warmer temps draw more swimmers to polar bear plunge

To the boisterous chants of “Herbie, Herbie, Herbie!,” veteran polar bear plunger John “Tripper” Draves led dozens of people into the chilly Maumee River water today for what has become northwest Ohio’s annual New Year’s Day tradition: A polar bear plunge on behalf of the late Waterville resident Herb Mericle.