Donato "Danny" Persico entered the sunken submarine's escape hatch, crawling up a steel ladder as his hands were too chilled to grasp the ladder rungs.

From the deck, tourists and morning joggers stopped to watch. Some applauded as swimmers climbed up the steel ladders, grinning and dripping. Others, like François Fournier, remained skeptical.

PARIS (AP) — Cries of “It is warm!” rang out across the Seine on Saturday morning as Parisians jumped into the river — legally — for the first time in more than 100 years. Public ...

PARIS (AP) — Cries of “It is warm!” rang out across the Seine on Saturday morning as Parisians jumped into the river — legally — for the first time in more than 100 years.

The return to swimming follows a 1.4 billion euro ($1.5 billion) cleanup project tied to last year’s Olympics. Officials now say the Seine meets European water quality standards on most days.

PARIS (AP) — Cries of "It is warm!" rang out across the Seine on Saturday morning as Parisians jumped into the river — legally — for the first time in more than 100 years. Public swimming was allowed ...

Swimming in the Seine had been illegal since 1923, with a few exceptions, due to pollution and risks posed by river navigation. Taking a dip outside bathing areas is still banned for safety reasons.