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....
Former Member
--"In the months leading up to this event my brother had written letters to different organizing committees about safety, the number of people that were there, the doctors that should be there, the support staff and the lack thereof," (said his sister);
--He was not feeling well already before the race, and let it be known;
--He expressed not feeling well again during the race, and some people in fact noticed he was "struggling";
For him to eventually drown in such a helpless way, it is really very, very sad. Can we imagine what he may have been thinking in his last minutes?
Still don't get the tracking device. It would need to be explained better. This may be nice to be able to pinpoint exactly where to dispatch the divers to start the rescue/recovery and this could be a good thing, I wont argue that. But not if you want to rescue a swimmer on the surface and intervene within the short time window it may take from a sign of distress and slipping under. This could be seconds.
Several of the long distance races I entered you had to be examined by a doctor before you raced. They took your blood pressure listened to your breathing and checked the heart.
Warm water really was not a problem, drink lots of liquid. Cold water was another story. You can really get in trouble with cold water.
The Alexandria harbour race the temperature was 44K in 90+ degrees. The usual temperature is 85.6 degrees.
Still don't get the tracking device. It would need to be explained better. This may be nice to be able to pinpoint exactly where to dispatch the divers to start the rescue/recovery and this could be a good thing, I wont argue that. But not if you want to rescue a swimmer on the surface and intervene within the short time window it may take from a sign of distress and slipping under. This could be seconds.
I think the idea is that it's a second line of defense. First line of defense is, as you said, to have enough boats so that all of the swimmers are watched. The tracking device would be in case, despite their best efforts, someone fell through the cracks.
USA Swimming Plans to Push for Review of Open Water Safety Procedures in Light of Fran Crippen's Death -- October 24, 2010
Streamlined News: Oct. 25, 2010
I was thinking about this, too. The technology should be out there now where every competitor could be fitted with a tracking device.
The technology *does* exist. I've been in OW races where they strap a chip to your ankle, and if you like, you can have it periodically send your location to Facebook or whatever. If that can be done, they should have been able to see that one of the chips was no longer moving. :(
And in every OW swim I have done, I have always been in visual distance of one or more boats. There is no excuse for not having more boats.
It's not like we don't know how to run OW swims. They just didn't do it.
You hit the nail on the head Philoswimmer! So very sad but true.
The issue wasn't really the hot water, it was the fact that the field was not being monitered Swimmers can experience problems regardless of water conditions and anyone who could no longer continue in that race was a goner. :(
Swimnews.com seems to really be pushing the issue hard. They talked to Christine Jennings, one of the swimmers who required hospitcal care in the race, and she says she had to roll over and pretty much float on her back, was clearly and visibly a distressed swimmer, and there were no boats anywhere near her who could offer aid.
Good to see so many swimmers willing to go on the record- Lurz, Wolfgarden, and now her, about conditions at the venue. FINA's not going to be able to sweep what happened under the rug.
From this article:
"Saad said Crippen's body was found with swimming goggles in place, suggesting he went down in "one second" in the World Cup event. He said that open-water swimmers normally remove their goggles immediately when are fatigued or in trouble."
Could someone explain if the italic part is true and why they remove goggles?
According to the reports, though, Crippen was already seen "struggling" at the feed station, meaning he was already fatigued or in trouble a while before he went down.
I call BS on this.This is a STUPID CYA statement.They are saying"he pushed himself too hard and couldn't have been saved,we're innocent."No body dies in one second of heat exhaustion.He drowned and likely could have been saved if he was pulled promptly from the water,not to mention if he was properly monitored he could have been pulled from the water while still conscious.
Could someone explain if the italic part is true and why they remove goggles?
I've never heard that. The last race I was in, they told us to touch the tops of our heads if we were in trouble, and that was the first time I'd ever been given a specific sign to use if in trouble.
Maybe the claim is that it is "human nature" to take one's goggles off if one doesn't feel well???
