Organizers of ‘Kaohsiung Aihe International Ironman Triathlon’ wait 5 days to announce drowning of athlete
Taiwan News
Date: 2019/03/08
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Chang (second from right). (Photo from Facebook)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — On March 3, a man drowned while competing in the swimming phase of the Kaohsiung Aihe International Ironman Triathlon, but it was not until family members started seeking help from the public on social media that organizers finally announced the death today.
While competing in the 1,500-meter swimming segment of the “2019 13th Annual WHISBIH Kaohsiung Aihe International Ironman Triathlon,” a 45-year-old competitor surnamed Chang (張), suddenly collapsed. Chang had been swimming for less than 30 minutes and had neared the 700-meter turning point, when he suddenly had an “abnormal condition.”
Search and rescue officers of the Naval Rescue Brigade floating side-by-side with the swimmers quickly navigated toward Chang to rescue him. He was placed in a lifeboat and was rushed to the starting line, where he suffered an Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA).
Paramedics immediately rushed him to a hospital, where he was soon declared dead. [FULL STORY]
