Arlington Man Dies Competing In Ironman Triathlon In Texas

ARLINGTON, MA — A man from Arlington died over the weekend while competing in an Ironman triathlon in Galveston Texas, organizers of the event said Tuesday.

Daniel Winkler, 46, of Arlington was found face down and unconscious during the swim portion of the triathlon in Offatts Bayou around 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Galveston Island Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis said.

Emergency crews rushed him to an ambulance on shore, taking him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, Galveston County Daily News reported.

At this time it's unclear what caused Winkler to go unconscious, but according to Davis, it's considered "normal" for the beach patrol to rescue about 40 people during the swim portion of the race, and a small number of those people are taken to the hospital every year.

According to organizers, more than 2,000 athletes participated in Sunday's Ironman race. The swimming portion is the first part of the triathlon, organizers said.

"We share our greatest sympathies with the family and friends of the athlete and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time," event organizers shared on Facebook. "We thank the swim safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athlete with medical support."

The annual Galveston Ironman triathlon draws in athletes from around the country with a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile road race.

No additional information was immediately available.