BURLINGTON, Vt. -
Deaths in Triathlon swimming events here and around the country are nothing new.
In addition to Saturday's death, three other athletes in Vermont have died in the swimming segment of Triathlons in just the last two years.
Last July, 41-year-old Steve Mount of Williston drowned while competing in a Sprint Triathlon series in Shelburne Bay. Two weeks earlier, a race at Lake Elmore claimed the life of a Morrisville man. And in 2010 a race in Lake Dunmore was also marred by a death.
Local race organizers recently told Channel 3 that the chaos and jostling between swimmers during the mass start and the adrenaline of competition can be a stress to even seasoned athletes.
A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that while triathlon deaths are extremely rare, they are nearly twice as common as deaths in marathons. And the swimming portion of the race is usually when they occur.
Related Story:
Efforts to make triathlons safer for athletes
