Cork Ironman horror as two men die during swim triathlon after Storm Betty delayed event
The men, one aged in his 40s and the other in his 60s, were pulled from the water by emergency services before being pronounced dead by medical personnel at the international Ironman event in Youghal, Co Cork .The men, one aged in his 40s and the other in his 60s, died in separate incidents during the swimming segment of the triathlon held in Youghal. The men were pulled from the water by emergency services before being pronounced dead by medical personnel.One of the participants is understood to have suffered a medical emergency in the harbour at the end of the swimming leg of the race. Gardai believe there was no foul play and are treating the deaths as a tragic incident.A spokesperson said: “Gardai and emergency services are currently attending the scene of an incident in Youghal Co. Cork where two men have died at a sporting event this morning. Two men, aged 40s and 60s, were removed from the water by emergency services.
“They were pronounced deceased by medical personnel. The coroner has been notified. The organisers had decided to move the swim course further into the harbour and shorten it because of bad weather conditions.”
One of the deceased is believed to be an Irish man who had been living in the UK for some time, while the other is understood to be a man from Canada who had travelled here for the competition, reports Cork Beo. The weekend competition is continuing despite the double tragedy. In a statement, the event organisers said: “We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of two race participants at the IRONMAN 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023. During the swim portion of Sunday’s race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance. Two men die swimming during County Cork triathlon.Two men have died while taking part of an Ironman triathlon event in Youghal, County Cork.
The men, one aged in his 60s and the other in his 40s, were participating in the swimming section when they got into difficulty in separate incidents.
They were removed from the water by the emergency services.
It is understood one of the men was Irish, but had been living in the UK, while the other was from Canada, Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported.
The men were taking part in an Ironman 70.3 event, also known as a half ironman.
It typically involves a 1.2 mile (1.9km) swim, 56 mile (90.1km) cycle and a 13.1 mile (21.1km) run.
Gardaí (Irish police) said both men were pronounced dead by medical personnel and the local coroner has been notified.
The organisers of the event, Ironman Ireland, said they were “deeply saddened” by the deaths.
“During the swim portion of Sunday’s race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance,” it said.”We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time.”
The triathlon was originally due to take place on Saturday but the schedule was disrupted by severe weather this weekend.On Friday afternoon the organisers said they intended to move Saturday’s swim course “further into Youghal Bay, where the water is more protected”.
However, they later had to postpone the triathlon because the bike course was affected by flooding and storm debris.
On Saturday afternoon, the organisers said the race would go ahead on Sunday after Cork County Council helped to clear the course of debris.
They added that due to “improving weather conditions” the swim course would “revert back to the original couse”.
Emergency response
Following the deaths, Cork County Council said it was currently offering “every assistance required to the Ironman Group and all those impacted”.
“We wish to express our gratitude to the response agencies involved, including our dedicated fire and emergency personnel for their unwavering efforts during this difficult time,” it added.
The triathlon event, which also features a full Ironman alongside the 70.3 event, continued on Sunday.
