Triathlete’s Family Sues for Wrongful Death

July 9, 2009

A man died in the 2006 Ironman Florida competition when he had heart failure during the swimming portion of the race. His family- a wife and two sons- are now suing the organizers of the competition for failing to follow their own protocol in setting up the safety measures.

The triathlon was the man’s first, and he was very excited about his participation. He had been training for months. However, the stress of the event caused the man to experience heart failure. Another participant found the man’s body in the water. He was dragged to the shore, where volunteers administered CPR.

It took more than five minutes for the paramedics to arrive. The man’s heart was re-started, but he died in the hospital after being on life support for three days. The man’s wife says that she now struggles to care for the two children and herself without the financial support of her husband.