MR.OK'S LAST DIVE
A great New Year disappointment for Rome this year when the fabled Mr. OK renounced his regular dive into the Tiber to herald in 2024.
Mister OK (real name Maurizio Palmulli) had been launching himself on the 18m-high dive into the river from Ponte Cavour bridge near Castel Sant'Angelo on the morning of the 1st January for the past 35 years. This time, however, backache forced 71-year old Palmulli to forego his annual feat.
The Mr. Okay dive tradition was started in 1946 by Italian-Belgian Rick De Sonny, a flamboyant character who took the plunge wearing a bathing suit and a top hat. He was used to making the OK gesture with his thumb when he emerged from the waters, thus giving him the nickname that stuck when his successor, Palmulli, took over.
Palmulli now hopes that a new, younger Mister Okay will emerge to take his place and carry on the tradition.
Info: www.fanpage.it
