A Brazilian woman drowned while competing in the swimming portion of the Ironman Texas triathlon in the Houston area over the weekend.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said the victim drowned in Lake Woodlands, where the swimming part of the event was held. The sheriff’s office did not specify what caused the victim to drown.
The sheriff’s office told NBC News the victim was Mara Flavia Souza Araujo, 38.
Ms. Araujo drowned about 7:30 a.m. Saturday; her body was found by first responders at a depth of about 10 feet, according to KIAH-TV.
The deceased athlete’s friends say she was not feeling 100% before the event, which starts with a 2.4-mile swim, followed by 112 miles of bike riding and a 26.2-mile marathon run, according to the Ironman website.
Luis Taveira, a friend of Ms. Araujo, told sports news site The Spun “she was ill before the trip, she wasn’t OK” before the competition.
“My wife and I spoke with her to say she was too weak for this race, although a couple of days ago when we talked to her, she insisted she was OK. I still cannot believe what’s happened,” Mr. Taveira told The Spun.
In a 2022 Instagram post, Ms. Araujo said she was “diagnosed with a health problem,” which she did not specify, as translated from Portuguese. She added that she overcame the diagnosis by becoming a triathlete in late 2018.
As of Tuesday, the Montgomery County Medical Examiner’s Office lists the manner and cause of her death as pending.
“We are saddened to confirm the death of a race participant during the swim portion of today’s IRONMAN Texas triathlon. We send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the athlete and will offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time,” the event’s organizers posted on social media.
Ms. Araujo’s death is not the first during the competition’s swimming leg. In 2017, 54-year-old Glen Bruemmer went under near the end of the swimming portion. Rescuers pulled him out, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to the Houston Chronicle.
