Mass Triathlete Drowns

So tragic..good reminder not to swim alone.

wow.  I wonder if this is another case of a cardiac arrhythmia leading to drowning?

So very sad. Please be careful!!!!

It's sad.

I was just going to say that a swimmer with that amount of experience does not drown accidentally.

So, if it was a fatal arrhythmia, is it correct to assume that a swimming buddy would not have been able to help? I saw someone go into arrhythmia in a research hospital setting many years ago, it did not seem the person was capable of doing anything.

Where did you get your noodle thing?

any dollar store or walmart type of place has them.  i have a rope that is tied at one end then i loop it across my chest like a courier bag strap. i have it out long enough that i rarely feel the rope on my feet ..... and when i do i just feel safe knowing it's there!!

MAV's son is the inventor because he loves his mom and worried about her swimming alone!!

it may look funny but what happened here is not!

go get one and join the gang - there are a bunch of us with them!

I got mine from WalMart - it was somewhere around $3 -- it's fatter than a regular noodle. Of course, I've never used it except once to see what it's like... maybe I should.

likely no one would have gotten to him fast enough.  I mean when we swim at Walden ,it is not like we all swim at the same pace, so if some 'event' happened, drowning would be the result.  Unfortunately a noodle, or swimsafe would not work either....

I figure if I die on an ows at least I am doing something I like!



Edited by TriToy 2009-08-04 8:00 PM

I always wear my wetsuit for open water training swims.  I wear it for warmth, and safety.  I reassure my wife by telling her I couldn't drown even if I tried when wearing my wetsuit.  Wouldn't a swim noodle be redundant?  I'd like to know your thoughts.

rb

If the cause is an arrhythmia or some event that causes loss of consciousness, then a wetsuit and noodle or whatever flotation device is not going to do it.

I do NOT think it is possible that his cause of drowning was because of fatigue....and that a wetsuit or noodle would have helped.  It is MUCH more likely that he had a cardiac event - and when you are face down in the water you end up drowning.  This is what has happened in the races where people have drowned - and they were wearing wetsuits and not alone.

Stuff happens - it is incredibly sad - but we take risks in life - I figure it is MUCH more likely I will get nailed on a training ride by a car or hit crossing the street.....

When it comes to safety, redundant is the key.

I understand that an arrythmia will cause your heart to stop and there is very little that can be done to avert disaster. However, I have had cramps that are pretty rough to deal with when I am swimming long. If I didnt have the "safety" of my noodle I may have  gone into panic mode. Its an added safety precaution. You cant be too safe out there. Its no weight or drag...NO BIG DEAL...other than I have a security blanket. I have never had a negative comment when I use it...as a matter of fact many people have asked me where I got it.  I am VERY comfortable in OWS and have done many miles so its not a matter of insecuity ...just safety

any update on this man's cause of death yet?

I'm going in for an EKG with my doc this week just to rule out heart trouble for myself!