Ontario athlete dies during swim at Ironman 70.3 Calgary

A 47-year-old man from Ontario died at today’s Ironman 70.3 Calgary event at Harmony Lake, which is about 30 km outside of Calgary. Cochrane RCMP were called at 7:55 local time after “volunteers with the Ironman 70.3 Calgary race spotted the man in the water,” according to a report by the Calgary Herald. After the man was pulled from the lake and CPR was started, EMS was called to the scene, but according to media reports the man died on the scene. A cause of death will be confirmed by the medical examiner.

“We are incredibly saddened to confirm the death of a race participant at the Ironman 70.3 Calgary triathlon,” Ironman said in a statement. “During the swim portion of Sunday’s race, swim safety personnel recognized the athlete in distress requiring immediate medical attention. We share our greatest sympathies with the family and friends of the athlete and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the swim safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athlete with medical support. In respect of the family and athlete’s privacy, we will have no further comment.”