If I look at the lower picture, one with naked upper body, one with paddles, the left one of the upper picture did not survive?

Which one are you? Any did you wear ear plugs?

If I look at the lower picture, one with naked upper body, one with paddles, the left one of the upper picture did not survive?

Top effort!

Though we need more details. Like swim distance and how long you were in for?

And a bit of backstory. I'm guessing it was preceded by a drunken conversation with someone suggesting "We should going swimming tomorrow". That's usually how these things escalate.

This was in fact the result of a text discussion (while drinking) the night before. My wife agreed to accompany us in a kayak, and she took the photo's.

It was pretty windy, so we stayed in a sheltered cove. At the start, we went about 100m and stopped to discuss how long the madness would continue. We kept going (away from our starting point) another 100-200m. Then we turned around and headed back. I'd guess the total distance ~400-500m. This short distance was mostly due to me being out of swim shape, because at the point we had acclimated to the cold water and could have stayed in longer.

We hung out in the water for a few extra minutes at the end (for pic's and conversation). Total time in the water was about 15 minutes.

The 3rd guy turned back at one point due to the discomfort trying to keep his face in the water. But, when we extended our swim a little longer, he re-joined.

Define "re-joined?" Did he get out of the water and then get back in? Or you just caught up with him on the way back?
Because if he got out, then decided to try for more and got in again, that's a special kind of drain bammage

This was in fact the result of a text discussion (while drinking) the night before. My wife agreed to accompany us in a kayak, and she took the photo's.

It was pretty windy, so we stayed in a sheltered cove. At the start, we went about 100m and stopped to discuss how long the madness would continue. We kept going (away from our starting point) another 100-200m. Then we turned around and headed back. I'd guess the total distance ~400-500m. This short distance was mostly due to me being out of swim shape, because at the point we had acclimated to the cold water and could have stayed in longer.

We hung out in the water for a few extra minutes at the end (for pic's and conversation). Total time in the water was about 15 minutes.

I now have a hard rule not to commit to anything while drinking. Workout, race, nothing. There have been several occasions where something sounded like a great idea, then you wake up the next day and say "I agreed to what???" Being me, I won't back down from it, but ugh.

Social Distancing swim in the snow this morning.

Air temp = 30 deg F
Water temp ~50 deg F