‘Hardest I’ve encountered’: Man dies after being pulled from choppy waters during a famous WA triathlon

A man has died after being pulled from choppy waters during a challenging Ironman endurance race. The athlete was competing in the Busselton Ironman, in the southwest tip of Western Australia. In a statement, the event organisers said “the athlete required medical attention during the swim portion of the race, with event medical personnel providing support onsite before transporting them to hospital”. The athlete was pronounced dead on Tuesday. Ironman commentator Pete Murray shared his condolences, saying it was “such sad news to hear for the Ironman family”. Fellow athletes shared their own condolences on Facebook, “my heart goes out to the family,” wrote a cyclist. “Never think this will happen to you, ‘til it does.” “Condolences,” said another competitor. “The swim condition was so tough.” Described as a “fast, flat course in the scenic town of Busselton”, the Ironman event involved two laps of a 90km cycling course, 21.km run, and 1.9km swim portion. The swim portion of the race was planned with safety in mind, with organisers claiming they chose a path in which “swimmers stay closer to shore, meaning less exposure to the weather and better swim conditions.” Despite this, another athlete described the swim as “the hardest I’ve encountered”. “Super choppy waters,” he said. “Waves were that big you can’t see the race buoys at times.” The 226.3km event garnered over 3,500 entrants, with over half travelling from out of state to attend.