38-Year-Old Athlete Passes Away After Suffering Heart Attack in the Water at Ironman 70.3 Pucón (VIDEO)

The opening of the 2022 IRONMAN season at Ironman 70.3 Pucón, Chile resulted in a tragic death of a 38-year-old athlete.

According to reports, the athlete suffered a heart attack while in the water and was transported to a nearby hospital.

The race had to momentarily stop after another athlete informed security personnel of the emergency.

Sadly, medical authorities were unable to revive the athlete and he later passed away.

His identity is not yet released to the public.

The video below shows an ambulance transporting the competitor to a hospital:

La ambulancia se lleva de urgencia a un competidor que sufrió un problema cardíaco durante la natación del Ironman 70.3 de Pucón @adnradiochile pic.twitter.com/8hU1REeVfC

— Carlos Madariaga (@CMadariaga90) January 9, 2022

Ministra del Deporte lamentó deceso en el Ironman 70.3 pero no quiso ahondar en la situación: "No corresponde entregar información desde el Ministerio del Deporte, le corresponde a la organización" https://t.co/sZzYEzO5pP pic.twitter.com/gButkAqDNV

— Radio ADN (@adnradiochile) January 9, 2022

https://twitter.com/chapoisat/status/1480284916726312964

ADN Radio reported:

According to information from the organizers, the athlete suffered a heart attack while swimming in Lake Villarrica, in the first of the three competition tests.

The man was urgently transferred by an ambulance that sought to revive him in the face of the emergency that occurred in the competition.

However, the 38-year-old athlete emerged from the water dead and the resuscitation maneuvers, which lasted several minutes, were unsuccessful.

The Minister of Sports, Cecilia Pérez, regretted what happened, but did not want to delve into the subject. “What corresponds as the Ministry of Sport, and above all out of respect for the athlete’s family, is to wait for official communication from the organization itself with the respective medical reports,” he said.

“ One will always regret these events, but we do not want to delve further because we believe that it is not appropriate to deliver information from the Ministry of Sport , it is up to the organization,” he added regarding the 38-year-old competitor who died in the middle of the Ironman 70.3 competition in Pucon.

The organizer of IRONMAN 70.3 Pucón released this official statement following the tragedy:

(Translation): During the swimming circuit of the IRONMAN triathlon 70.3 Pucón triathlon today, one athlete received immediate medical and was transferred to a nearby hospital where he continued to receive treatment. This after the event’s security personnel were alerted.

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We are saddened to announce that the athlete passed away and our deepest condolences to the athlete’s family and friends. and friends of the athlete. In addition, we will continue to our support and respect their privacy as they go through this difficult time.

We would like to thank the athlete who assisted the security personnel of the event and the first responders who worked quickly to provide medical support to the athlete.

*Source*

Triathlon Magazine Canada reported the results of the 2022 Ironman season opener:

The 2022 Ironman season got underway today at Ironman 70.3 Pucon and, while the event featured two worthy champions, their racing was marred by the death of an athlete during the swim. Spain’s Javier Gomez topped the men’s field thanks to the day’s fastest run, while Luisa Baptista took the title over Chilean favourite Barbara Riveros.