A 44-year-old Miami woman died after participating in the IRONMAN 70.3 Sunday.
Evelyn Lopez became unresponsive during the swim portion of the three-pronged event, according to an email from Richmond County coroner Mark Bowen Tuesday.
“Lopez was pulled from the water by rescue team and transported by EMS to Augusta University Medical Center,” the email said.
She was pronounced dead at 5:40 p.m. Monday. An autopsy has been requested.
Previous reports in The Augusta Press said this was the second consecutive year that an IRONMAN 70.3 participant has died.
Around 9:30 p.m. Monday, a Facebook post confirmed the incident took place during the swim portion of the event. The IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta includes a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run.
“We are extremely saddened to confirm the death of a race participant from Sunday’s IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta triathlon. During the swim portion of the race, the athlete required and received medical assistance before being transported to a nearby hospital where they passed away this evening. We share our greatest sympathies with the family and friends of the athlete and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the swim safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athlete with medical support,” the post said.
On Sept. 26, 2021, George R. Hall, a partner in the Hull Barrett law firm, died during the Augusta IRONMAN 70.3 in the swim portion.
It’s not uncommon for deaths to occur during extreme endurance events. According to news reports, about two-thirds of the triathlon deaths happen in the swim portion, and many are caused by a sudden heart attack. A 61 year-old man died at an IRONMAN 70.3 in Santa Cruz, Calif. Sept. 14.
The IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta was part of a weekend of events that included the adult triathlon as well as a children’s event Saturday.
