High-dives into muddy Tiber

Marco Fois somersaults into Rome's Tiber river to celebrate the new year on Thursday. Story Tools YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Offbeat or Create your own Manage alerts | What is this?

ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- Four Romans braved the chill to dive 52 feet (17 meters) off a bridge into the muddy River Tiber to mark a New Year tradition on Thursday.

A crowd of hundreds cheered the divers as they flung themselves off the Cavour Bridge into the swirling river that winds through Rome.

Italian diver Aldo Corrieri, 40, dedicated the event, which has taken place since 1946, to world peace.

"I'm dedicating this to peace in the world and to the hope that these terrorist attacks stop -- these attacks that make humanity live in terror," he told Reuters Television.

But fellow diver Maurizio Palmoni, in his late sixties, who has taken part for the past 16 years and is not sure whether he will be back next year, was less concerned about world peace.

"This year I'm dedicating my dive to myself," he said.

Story Tools		Subscribe to Time for $1.99

Iran poll to go to run-off • U.N.: Truck bomb killed Hariri • EU 'crisis' after summit failure • U.S. House votes to keep U.N. dues

CNN/Money: Security alert issued for 40 million credit cards • Bin Laden deputy sends message • U.S. House votes to keep U.N. dues • Iran poll to go to run-off