A man who competed in Salem’s Ironman 70.3 died Tuesday after suffering an unspecified medical emergency during the swim portion of the Sunday race.
Paddleboarders acting as water safety personnel on the Willamette River during the swim recognized the man was in distress in the water, said Brian Carrara, Salem Fire Department deputy chief for administrative services.
Two men died during the swim stage of the endurance event and some participants have since said they felt the sea conditions on Sunday were too rough.
A spokesperson for Triathlon Ireland, the governing body for triathlons on the island, said the organisation raised concerns before the race began.
Earlier on Tuesday, event organiser Ironman Ireland issued a statement outlining its version of events.
A spokesperson said it worked in collaboration with national federations across the world.
It said that “several hours after the swim was completed” representatives from Triathlon Ireland said they would not sanction the event.
When asked about the statement, within an hour, Triathlon Ireland responded.
A spokesperson said its officials had attended before the start of the race to review the conditions and assess the safety of the water.
“Due to adverse conditions on the day, before the start of the race Triathlon Ireland technical officials confirmed to the race organisers that it was not possible to sanction the race,” the spokesperson said.
Ironman made it clear in its statement that safety checks had been carried out before the race, and the water had passed its tests.
“On the morning of Sunday 20 August, Ironman Ireland officials and the specific on-swim safety team carried out all standard safety protocol checks that are completed at every race and determined water conditions were safe for the swim to take place,” a spokesperson said.