200 Triathletes Rescued

Maybe next time they should just count bodies as they wash up to shore - just joking. I think the organizers should be trying to decide why more than 20 had to be pulled out. With 3000 in the race in rough water you have to expect a few. As a swimmer who has done triathlons I would be angry to say the least if they cancelled a swim in any race, let alone one I had to travel to overnight. But the reality is that the great majority do little or no training in rough water. Maybe they could't duck under the waves because the wetsuits were too buoyant.

Public safety employees are under a lot of scrunity due to "extreme pay and lavish pensions". As always, when under the threat of cutbacks, hyperbole plays a big role. Twenty rescues for 3,000 tri-folks isn't excessive. I don't think 200 rescues is accurate. However, the article states that the figure includes assists as well as rescues. An assist can be a lifeguard yelling at you. The difference between a near drowning and salt water (as opposed to fresh water I guess) in the lungs is confusing also. Anyway, what a load of bad press for the organizers. New recliners for the fire department.

Public safety employees are under a lot of scrunity due to "extreme pay and lavish pensions". As always, when under the threat of cutbacks, hyperbole plays a big role. Twenty rescues for 3,000 tri-folks isn't excessive. I don't think 200 rescues is accurate. However, the article states that the figure includes assists as well as rescues. An assist can be a lifeguard yelling at you. The difference between a near drowning and salt water (as opposed to fresh water I guess) in the lungs is confusing also. Anyway, what a load of bad press for the organizers. New recliners for the fire department. Good points. I know when I guarded years ago, an assist was also putting your hand under someone's arm and helping them walk out of the water.

514 were given assistance during the 0.93 mile swim, - 169 required help leaving the water, - 7 were evaluated in the med tent, and - 2 were sent to hospitals. The only stats that have meaning are the last two. Out of 3,000 tris, that doesn't seem excessive. The other numbers are approximations with an ambigious definition. Whenever there is a threat to cut the budget, those approximations always go up. It is a shame that the organizers didn't have better PR people. But, sometimes the news is in collusion with others and doesn't have an objective position.

i once did a tri where one of the kayakers was confused and thought I should have turned at a buoy which marked a turn for the shorter course. He pulled right in front of me and wouldn't move insisting that I should go back. I had to swim around him. Does that count as an assist?

Probably five.

OK, with the caveat I wasn't there.... but I've done this race, and I know people that were there this year. The conditions this year were much much better than prior years. Here's a pic of the year I did it sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/.../4155_1139807224963_1520884274_330775_1698026_n.jpg 2009 was worse, with tons of current and wind chop, and waves of about the same size. This year was much smaller and calmer. But this RD simply doesn't cancel swims in rough conditions. As for this year, I heard nothing about an inordinate number of "rescues," and believe me here in L.A. that news travels around very fast. I have to chalk this up to reportage and a very ambiguous definition of "assistance." If the RD is to be believed, that includes providing direction in the water. Not sure how they keep track of that, but still.... I know triathletes get a bad rap from swimmers (as well as cyclists... not so much runners) and in some cases that is true. But if you are a triathlete and are smart, you swim in the ocean out here. Every week. It's a heavily LA tri race for obvious reasons, and most all do ocean swims, and most all know what they are getting into. But I think this story is a bit msrepresentative... I'd like to know the standards for assistance etc. Also required help leaving the water. arm under another's arm? 200 rescues is a better headline than 2 sent to hospitals

What a great picture. Shore pound at its finest.

Interestingly enough, the article said 169 and you reported 200. The headline said "nearly 200," perhaps that is where you got the number. Alot of triathletes are poor swimmers but their type A personalities lead them to attempt more than they should! That is news? It's possible that a lot of weekend-warriors didn't realize that a nearly 1-mile swim isn't as easy as one would think. I'm also wondering if they had to run a fair distance to start the swim leg of the race. This could explain why so many people had trouble.

I'm not trying to start a flame war, just passing along the news as it is reported. Interestingly enough, the article said 169 and you reported 200. The headline said "nearly 200," perhaps that is where you got the number. Alot of triathletes are poor swimmers but their type A personalities lead them to attempt more than they should! That is news?