Triathalon swim deaths 2008 rising. What is going on?

Triathalon deaths are likely to increase as more and more people try to do the Tri. What needs to looked at is the age of death of the triathletes. Also, looking at the amount of training that was done and where the death occurred. If most of these deaths are occuring in the water, than the triathletes need to condition better for swimming. I have swam on a number of triathalon relays and I believe that most of the triathletes are afraid of the water and spend as little time as they can swimming. I was in one relay were I was surrounded by swimmers and being hit and kicked and swam over. I thought I was going to drown. If I felt that way, and I have a successful Catalina Swimming crossing under my belt, how does someone who is not as relaxed in the water feel when they are part of a mass wave of people in the water? Fear can make you do stupid things, like drown, even in a wet suit.

Chaos, thanks for those observations. Some demonstration of competence, especially if deep water is involved, would seem logical. The increased number of triathletes probably underlies the increase in reported number of deaths. Swimming is the leg least well prepared for; many swimmers do not have opportunity to practice in open water, and when physical defense and fear are suddenly added to the mix, the course can take a different turn from expected. An autopsy is necessary but not (always) sufficient to establish cause of death. Some rare causes must be sought specifically. The family may decide against an autopsy (although I believe most jurisdictions require one for "unnatural" deaths). I like the eighteenth-century catch-all phrase: death from misadventure. It probably remains the case that driving to the venue poses greater risk to life and limb than participating in a triathlon. Condolences to the families of the swimmers. VB

If you have not heard, after the death this weekend in Idaho, we have had 7 deaths so far this year. Every one that I am finding on Google says "Cause of death unknown." We even had a drowning in Utah lake a week or so ago where a kid jumped in to retrieve a paddle and never surfaced. His body was later found, an autopsy was done, and the result "Cause of death unknown."

Wow! 7 Thats a lot. I wonder where those figures come from. Over this weekend its news that in NY 4 died this week in the surf due to currents and 3 are missing. Thats swimming in surf on beaches and not in races.

I've read of first time tris that have quite a bit of pool experience but admit they have very little, if any, open water training experience. I hear they are often shocked by the cooler water, the splashing, the waves being generated, being swam over, having goggles kicked off, directional orientation, lack of "feeling" the water in their strokes due to the wet suit, the decreased elbow room in the turns, the restrictions in movement a wet suit can create, and more. One reported that the experience made him hyperventilate during the swim leg. Therefore, I totally agree with you. Oh, and I am also reading that the number of athletes in triathlons is increasing by the 1000s- another topic you mentioned. Here we go: "participation in triathlons has exploded in recent years." "Membership of USA Triathlon, which sanctions more than 2,000 triathlon events: 2000: 21,341 2001: 29,886 2002: 40,299 2003: 47,373 2004: 53,254 2005: 58,073 2006: 84,787 articles.latimes.com/.../he-stats4

Wow! 7 Thats a lot. I wonder where those figures come from. Over this weekend its news that in NY 4 died this week in the surf due to currents and 3 are missing. Thats swimming in surf on beaches and not in races. www.nytimes.com/.../22triathlon.html "Neira’s death was the sixth during a triathlon this year. All occurred during the swim portion of the event, said Kathy Matejka, director of event services at USA Triathlon." That was last weekend. This weekend, another man died in the swim leg of a Tri in Idaho.

Triathalon deaths are likely to increase as more and more people try to do the Tri. What needs to looked at is the age of death of the triathletes. Also, looking at the amount of training that was done and where the death occurred. If most of these deaths are occuring in the water, than the triathletes need to condition better for swimming. I have swam on a number of triathalon relays and I believe that most of the triathletes are afraid of the water and spend as little time as they can swimming. I was in one relay were I was surrounded by swimmers and being hit and kicked and swam over. I thought I was going to drown. If I felt that way, and I have a successful Catalina Swimming crossing under my belt, how does someone who is not as relaxed in the water feel when they are part of a mass wave of people in the water? Fear can make you do stupid things, like drown, even in a wet suit. i have participated in +/- 12 open water races per year for the past 10 years. i did about 15 triathlons in the 80's and have since been the "swimmer" for a few triathlon relays. the energy of open water races is completely different from that of the swim leg of triathalons. in swim races, the field sometimes forms packs of swimmers in tight formation...hip to hip, elbow to elbow...there is no panic, there is no thrashing. sometimes things get a bit more physical around turn buoys. the absence of wet suits makes us a lot more sensitive to contact with our fellow swimmers. i think triathalon race directors should consider requiring entrants to submit proof of participation (and reasonable finish times) in swim events equal to or longer than the swim leg of a trithalon. its almost a joke how many triathletes can't swim to save their lives.

On our team we have had numerous triathletes swim with us with only one who I would suggest has improved as a swimmer. Typically, they come in at off times, put on all the toys, knock out a 500 and then bike home. The perplexing part is that we also have an open water subgroup and I can't recall ever having a triathlete swim with us since 2005. Perhaps since the swimming only accounts for 15% of the time of the entire race it's a little "underrepresented" in the training. Nevertheless, it's a shame about the fatalities.

TriChica, you bring up a great example of a potential cause of death... overheating due to wetsuit. I don't know the conditions of the deaths of the 7 people so far, but having swum in wetsuits for OW swim-only events, they could very well be a contributing factor. Not to sound unsympathetic, but if these athletes are swimming in wetsuits when it is hotter than Hades in (and out of) the water, they're asking for it. I believe the max temperature where wetsuits are allowed is 84. If it is hot, humid, and the sun is beating down on you, why would you strap on a non-breathable extra 1/8" layer of insulation? You're cooking yourself like a hot sausage in there. The USMS 2mi Cable Champs were held in 84 degree water... I was cooking in there - I can't imagine wearing a wetsuit too. With so many triathlons taking place in the summertime, the rubber is truly unnecessary in a lot of races (I understand the water was ~70 last week for the Lake Placid IronMan - totally understandable to wear rubber there). USAT is partly to blame with their temperature guidelines, but race directors need to step up and encourage people to be practical and to take them off when the water is in the 78-84 "wetsuit optional" range.

I have to agree with you on the wetsuit issue--even though it used to be my security blanket. ; ) I thought for sure that the race would not allow wetsuits. The pros could not wear them for the NYC tri. I guess the tempt was high enough to make it illegal for them. I was very surprised to see that everyone was allowed to wear them. If there were jelly fish, the water was warm. I did the Nautica race in South Beach in April and that race became wetsuit illegal. The ocean was 78.2. So that morning, they announced wetsuits would not be allowed (I had to give up my blankie). BUT if you wanted to wear them, you still could; had to start in the back and would not be able to place. Guess what, my family kept pointing out how many still wore their wetsuits and went off in their wave. So picture this--Miami Beach and you are swimming in 78 degrees plus water with a wet suit....I am so, so glad I did not wear one. i would have roasted. I think though most races allow them despite the temp. I "heard" that at St Anthony's this year, they allowed them because of the conditions even thought the temps were up there. To me that measn the RD's are tacitly admitting that there are participants that are not "comfortable" in the water. There are videos of the NYC race on the internet. I was truly surprised at what I saw. I do hope that they are not forsaking safety for entries. I have seen these races grow and each year take more entries. How can any guard be expected to rescue someone or even notice them in a washing machine like start of a tri?