Two athletes have died during the IRONMAN 70.3 Mossel Bay triathlon, organisers confirmed on Facebook on Sunday, marking a tragic end to what was meant to be a celebratory sporting event on the Garden Route.
IRONMAN South Africa said both participants experienced separate medical emergencies during the swim leg of the race, with the incidents occurring roughly 15 minutes apart. Safety teams responded immediately.
According to the organisation, the first athlete was pulled from the water about 400 metres into the swim, while the second was extracted at approximately 1 000 metres. Both were taken to the race's designated extraction point for urgent treatment before being transported to hospital in separate ambulances. Despite the efforts of medical staff and first responders, neither athlete survived.