The Youghal Ironman deaths: questions and answers

What was it?

The Ironman event is an annual competition held in Youghal, Co Cork, consisting of running, cycling and swimming. There were over 2,000 competitors, some in the Ironman 70.3 113.13km-half triathlon and others in the longer Ironman Ireland, Cork 226.3km race. The half triathlon event was postponed on Saturday in the aftermath of Storm Betty and rescheduled for Sunday alongside the main event.

What is known about the deaths?

Brendan Wall (45), from Co Meath and Ivan Chittenden (64) from Toronto, Canada, both got into difficulty and died during the swimming event in separate incidents. They were both pronounced dead at the scene. Gardaí are treating the incident as a tragedy and preparing a file for the coroner. The men who died are understood to have been taking part in the Ironman 70.3, or half-Ironman race.

Why was the swim not called off?

That is a key question. A lot of safety considerations go into planning triathlons. Given the obviously rough sea conditions apparent in social media videos, many people are asking this question.

Triathletes will often swim in challenging conditions, although the 2019 Ironman swim was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

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In a statement the Ironman organisers said that the weather conditions were monitored carefully over the weekend, with the Ironman 70.3 triathlon being rescheduled to take place on Sunday, alongside Ironman Ireland, Cork, to provide a safer race for athletes.

“On the morning of Sunday, August 20th, Ironman Ireland officials and the specific on-swim safety team carried out all standard safety protocol checks that are completed at every race and determined water conditions were safe for the swim to take place,” said the statement. “Due to the prevailing weather conditions a decision was made, however, to shorten the distance of the swim as a further precaution to ensure that the significant water safety assets – such as kayaks, lifeguards and medical boats – could be concentrated over a smaller area while also allowing swimmers the ability to swim with the help of a more favourable current and incoming tide after the first 100m.”

Is it a big competition?

The event is run every year by the Ironman Group which describes itself as “the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world”. Every year over a million athletes take part in its various global racing and endurance events in more than 50 countries. The Youghal race has been estimated to bring about €8 million to the local economy. Entrants pay fees of between approximately €360 and €900 depending on the package. Registration will open for next year soon.

If it is that big there must be a lot of organisation involved?

There is, and it is looked after by Triathlon Ireland (TI). Its team of seasoned technical officials review the proposal and extensive safety plan of any triathlons being held in Ireland and its sign-off is essential. Participants would be required to have at least a temporary one-day membership of TI to take part for insurance purposes. Each competition would have a designated number of safety boats and kayaks on the water, calculated on a ratio to swimmer basis. Those craft are typically manned by experienced safety personnel. Weather is also monitored carefully, and water temperature, to ensure conditions are safe.

On Monday evening TI released a statement saying: “For the Ironman Cork event, in line with normal practice, Triathlon Ireland technical officials attended before the start of the race to review the conditions and carry out a water safety assessment. Due to adverse conditions on the day Triathlon Ireland technical officials confirmed to the race organisers that it was not possible to sanction the race.”

Are swimmers briefed on safety?

Well first off, triathletes at that level tend to be well prepared and more often experienced. That said, there are differing standards. In its Swim Smart guide Ironman advises athletes that race day should not be their first open-water swim. They are guided to replicate the conditions in advance – that is temperature and proximity to other swimmers – and to be familiar with the course and local conditions. Ironman competition rules permit competitors to stop and rest at any time during the swim and to raise their hand to alert a lifeguard or safety boat if needed.

Is it rare for deaths to happen?

Relatively, but the swim section is known for being the most dangerous part of a triathlon. Only last July, Co Louth athlete Sarah Fagan died after getting into difficulty during the swim at the Alp D’Huez triathlon in France. According to triathlete.com, of those rare deaths that occur during triathlon races, about 72 per cent are in, or related to, the water.

What happens now?

There is some talk of possible investigations, both publicly and unofficially. What shape that might take is unclear. Gardaí are not investigating as there is no foul play in the deaths, but they have contacted the coroner, who will consider the circumstances. On Monday Cork TD and Minister for Finance Michael McGrath upped the stakes when he said there was a need for a full investigation. “When two people lose their lives in circumstances such as this it is important that the full facts of what happened are established,” he said.