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. 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.

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.