Full story:
www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../25369.asp
Excerpt:
Passages: Fran Crippen, 26 - FINA, USA Swimming Release Statements -- October 23, 2010
FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates, October 23. SHORTLY after the FINA Open Water 10K World Cup swim today in the UAE, United States swimmer Fran Crippen, 26, passed away after falling unconscious during the race.
With the water in the mid-to-high 80s, the competitors all finished and noticed that Crippen had not crossed the finish line. Meet management brought in deep sea divers, who found Crippen unconscious just before the final buoy nearly two hours later. He was transported to the Fujairah Hospital and later died according to information provided to Swimming World. Conflicting reports state that he was found dead on the course.
Crippen had shown signs of slowing down during the third lap of the five-lap race. When Crippen did not immediately finish, a fact noticed by teammate Alex Meyer who screamed for help, the competing swimmers rushed back into the water to help with the search.
Information provided to Swimming World demonstrates that the water was likely too hot for the event as several swimmers were treated for heat exhaustion after the race....
What I don't understand is how no one noticed he wasn't with the other swimmers. I am not an experienced open-water swimmer, so maybe some others who are more familiar could help me.
As Kirk and George pointed out, the other swimmers may not even have noticed whether or not he was with the pack while they were racing. These guys do all know one another, and they know who to expect where, but they have their heads down and they are focusing on their own work while they are racing. In my own races, sometimes I know who is right next to me or ahead of me and sometimes I don't, and I never know who is behind me or what they are doing back there.
Even if the other competitors knew he had fallen behind, they probably would not have had any reason to know he was in serious danger as opposed to just having an off day. People observing from the feeding station, or from the safety craft if they had had any, should have been able to tell the difference between going slower than usual and struggling, however. And it shouldn't have taken the other swimmers to notice at the finish, "hey, if I'm here already, where is Fran?" It's just appalling.
What I don't understand is how no one noticed he wasn't with the other swimmers. I am not an experienced open-water swimmer, so maybe some others who are more familiar could help me.
As Kirk and George pointed out, the other swimmers may not even have noticed whether or not he was with the pack while they were racing. These guys do all know one another, and they know who to expect where, but they have their heads down and they are focusing on their own work while they are racing. In my own races, sometimes I know who is right next to me or ahead of me and sometimes I don't, and I never know who is behind me or what they are doing back there.
Even if the other competitors knew he had fallen behind, they probably would not have had any reason to know he was in serious danger as opposed to just having an off day. People observing from the feeding station, or from the safety craft if they had had any, should have been able to tell the difference between going slower than usual and struggling, however. And it shouldn't have taken the other swimmers to notice at the finish, "hey, if I'm here already, where is Fran?" It's just appalling.
