Apparently, a late middle age man died swimming the Sovereign Harbour Crossing race after presumably suffering aheart attack. I hope all these deaths are being researched for an underlying cause.From the NZ Herald:
"... One potential danger could come from the wetsuits used in endurance swims, which act to keep the swimmer warm when their body is trying to cool them down, Mr Barry said.
Surf Lifesaving met Sport and Recreation and Water Safety officials yesterday to consider conducting research into the effects of wetsuits on the body during extreme exercise, Mr Barry said.
"We want to know what sort of information can we give competitors so they go in with a full deck of cards," he said. "We don't want people to stop swimming, so let's make it a little safer for them."
He said he had no concerns about safety at Saturday's race.
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2 comments:
I am currently doing research on deaths that have occurred while open water swimming. To date, the research appears to show that the relative percentage of open water swimming deaths (i.e., the total number of deaths divided by the number of enthusiasts) is significantly lower than the sport of golf.
You know, Steve, I bet warming would reduce fatalities.
When I do Alcatraz, I spend 15 minutes just swimming to get use to the pain on my face and hands. I can swim at slower than race pace and be completely prepared for when I have to jump off the boat and jam.
I feel if people did warm ups, there would be less shock to the system.
Also, I make it a point to be the first group off the boat so I have several minutes to get use to the water.
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