Dozens of children with disability gathered on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach on Tuesday to receive presents “and joy” from the white-bearded man himself, a joint effort by the city’s firefighters and nonprofit associations. Under 27°C, firefighter sargeant Thiago Carvalho de Paiva wore Santa Claus costumes in tropical Rio, moving through the water as beachgoers cheered.

“We wanted to find a special way for Santa Claus to arrive,” said Renato Grigorovski, a spokesman for Rio’s firefighters’ department.The day began with a show of sniffing dogs displaying their skills and continued through lunch. The celebration reached its peak when Santa arrived on jet ski, making a grand entrance on the shores of Brazil’s postcard city.