38-12 months-Outdated Health Influencer Drowns Whereas Swimming in Texas Ironman Triathlon

NEED TO KNOW

• Brazilian triathlete Mara Flávia drowned throughout the swim portion of the Ironman Texas triathlon in The Woodlands on Saturday, April 18

• Fellow opponents and lifeguards tried to rescue the 38-year-old earlier than her physique was recovered by a dive group

• Flávia was a journalist-turned-athlete with 60,700 Instagram followers; she documented her sporting journey on-line

Police are investigating the loss of life of a lady who drowned whereas competing within the Ironman Texas triathlon.

The participant drowned throughout the swim portion of the occasion in The Woodlands on Saturday, April 18, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) stated in a news release on Facebook. She was recognized as Brazilian triathlete and influencer Mara Flávia by Brazilian shops O Globo and O Dia.

“The MCSO can confirm that a participant in today’s Ironman Triathlon in the Woodlands has drowned….The Woodlands Fire Department (WFD) completed the rescue in Lake Woodlands near North Shore Park,” the MCSO stated. “Once it was determined the participant was deceased, the MCSO began their investigation into this drowning per normal protocols.”

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“MCSO Major Crimes detectives are on scene and will continue their investigation..Our deepest sympathy goes to the family and friends of this participant,” added the MCSO. Authorities did not reveal the sufferer’s id.

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The Ironman Texas confirmed the loss of life in a statement on Facebook: “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 will offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. Our gratitude goes out to the first responders for their assistance.”

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Per its website, Ironman Texas comprises a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2-mile run.

According to a Facebook post shared by the organization and volunteer Shawn McDonald, Flávia, 38, disappeared underwater shortly after the start of the swimming portion of the competition. Fellow competitors and lifeguards made several rescue attempts before the dive team was able to retrieve Flávia’s body at around 9 a.m. local time.

“After the start, we paddled alongside swimmers, offering a hand…Then we heard a whistle. A group of younger volunteers in a kayak on the far side of the field were raising a flag, blowing a whistle, yelling for help,” recalled McDonald. “…I could see swimmers clinging to their kayak. I heard them say, ‘She went under.’ …The panic and fear on their faces won’t leave me for a long time.”

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“I dove in immediately and began searching … After about a minute underwater, I felt her body with my foot. I surfaced, took what seemed like the deepest breath I have ever taken and went back down. She was gone,” McDonald continued. “I lost count of how many times I dove over the next hour …”

Flávia documented her triathlon pursuits on social media and had 60,700 Instagram followers on the time of her loss of life.

The influencer was a journalism graduate and labored in communications on radio and tv for a decade earlier than transitioning right into a sporting profession at age 28, per O Dia.

PEOPLE has reached out to the MCSO and WFD for additional remark.

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