A Texas man who participated in the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon died of a heart attack from swimming in the San Francisco Bay on Sunday reported The San Francisco Chronicle.
The man, 46, was from Austin, Tex. His name was not released. He began the competition at 7:30 a.m., and less than a minute later died while swimming the 1.5-mile race, according to a statement by the organizers.
"We have reason to believe the gentleman suffered from a massive cardiac event as he entered the water and began the swim," said triathlon officials in a statement to The Associated Press.
The waters were colder from previous tournaments because they scheduled it three months in advance, but officials noted this was not the cause to the man's death. It was moved earlier because of conflicts with America's Cup match for races between sailing yachts.
Race director Bill Burke said the temperatures of the water was about 10 degrees colder than last June, reported the Chronicle. The temperatures were around 51 degrees, but with winds rushing at 11 miles per hour, the air temperature felt closer to the mid-40s than the actual mid-50s.
According to the Chronicle, it was the first death in the 33-year history of the triathlon, Burke said. The officials pulled out 150 competitors from the race, which was three times the normal number.
"What happened today was very, very sad. It underscores that athletes need to be checked carefully by a cardiologist before pushing themselves," Burke said.
The whole triathlon required a 1.5-mile swim, an 18-mile bike ride, and an 8-mile run along San Francisco's waterfront and Golden Gate Park, according to the Chronicle.
The race attracted 2,000 participants from around the world between the ages of 13 to 80 and resumed after the incident. The winner was Javier Gomez, 29, from Spain. Gomez finished the race in 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 27 seconds.
