Men who died in Cork Ironman event named
The two men who died while taking part in the Ironman Ireland event in Youghal on Sunday have been named locally.
The men, who died in separate incidents during the swimming section of the Ironman 70.3 race, were named as Brendan Wall and Ivan Chittenden.
It is understood that Mr Wall (40s) was originally from Co. Meath, and Mr Chittenden (60s) was from Toronto, Canada.
It is reported that both men got into difficulty while swimming. Gardaí and emergency services removed the men from the water, however, they were both pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.
Gardaí are investigating the incident as a tragic accident and said no foul play is suspected. Post-mortems are to be carried out today at CUH.
The event had originally been planned for Saturday but was postponed until Sunday due to flooding and poor conditions in the aftermath of Storm Betty.
On the morning of the event, organisers updated the swim course distance for both the Ironman 70.3 and the full distance Ironman, reducing it to 1.9km from 3.8km due to rough water conditions at the swim start.
A post on Ironman Ireland’s social media on Sunday morning said: “This means that we can all of our swim safety crew on delivering the safest possible swim for all of our athletes.”
A statement issued by the event’s organisers following the men's deaths said: “We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of two race participants at the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023.
“During the swim portion of Sunday’s race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognising the athletes were in need of assistance.
“We share our greatest sympathies with the families and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time.
“We thank the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athletes with medical assistance.
A Cork County Council statement said: “Cork County Council is deeply saddened over the tragic loss of two race participants during the Ironman 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023 event in Youghal today.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the athletes at this incredibly difficult time.
“Our thoughts are with those who have been affected, and we are currently offering every assistance required to the Ironman Group and all those impacted.
“We wish to express our gratitude to the response agencies involved, including our dedicated fire and emergency personnel, for their unwavering efforts during this this difficult time.”