West Newton Man Dies During Triathlon In Hopkinton State Park

NEWTON, MA — A West Newton man died following a medical emergency during the New England Season Opener triathlon at Hopkinton State Park Saturday.

At 9:38 a.m. on May 11, Worcester YMCA lifeguards pulled a swimmer participating in a triathalon from the Hopkinton Reservoir, according to Katie Gronendyke, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

An Environmental Police patrol boat transported the unresponsive man to shore. Environmental Police initiated CPR while enroute to beach, she said.

The victim, a 40-year-old Newton man, was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The cause of death is yet to be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, according to Gronendyke.

More than 500 people participated in the Hopkinton triathlon Saturday, which consisted of a 1/4 mile swim followed by a 10-mile bike ride and a 5k run.

Although it doesn't happen at every race, medical emergencies are not uncommon to triathlons.

In 2017, a study of more than 9 million participants during some 30 years found that 1.74 out of every 100,000 competitors had cardiac arrest or died during a tri, according to the Annals of Internal Medicine. Between 2006 and 2016 there were 135 sudden deaths, resuscitated cardiac arrests, and trauma-related deaths compiled. Some 85 percent of the incidents happened to men, according to the study.

"Deaths and cardiac arrests during the triathlon are not rare; most have occurred in middle-aged and older men. Most sudden deaths in triathletes happened during the swim segment, and clinically silent cardiovascular disease was present in an unexpected proportion of decedents," according to the study's conclusion.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).