Swim Segment of Triathlon Takes Another Life

A .93 mile stretch of the Hudson River, the swim segment of this year’s New York Triathlon, has claimed the life of a 32-year-old man, the fourth victim of triathlon swims in the past three months. The New York Times reports that rescuers pulled the man from the river about three-quarters of the
way through the swim, which ended at the 79th Street
Boat Basin. The swim is the first of the event’s three phases, and is
followed by a 24.8-mile bicycle ride and a 6.2-mile run. The Times reports that dozens of swimmers reported being stung by jellyfish during the swim. Swimmers had not been warned about
the jellyfish, which had not been a problem in past races, and were
taken by surprise. According to the newspaper, at least three other people have died during the swim portion of a
triathlon since May, including a 38-year-old man in the Gulf Coast
Triathlon in Florida, a 46-year-old man at the Hy-Vee Triathlon in Iowa
and a 45-year-old man at the Pacific Crest Triathlon in Oregon.
Read more in the New York Times.