Scottish Ironman competitor dies after 'getting into difficulty' during race
A Scotsman has died after participating in an Ironman competition in Wales.
Athletes took part in the Ironman 70.3 in Swansea on Sunday, July 13. Three days later it was announced an athlete had died in hospital.
He has now been named by the coroner as Sam Buchan, 31, from Scotland. Ironman Wales said staff noticed the athlete 'in difficulty" nearly half-way through the swimming part of the race, and went to his aid.
Organisers said: "It is with a heavy heart that we confirm the passing of an athlete who competed in last weekend's Ironman 70.3 Swansea triathlon. Approximately half-way into the swim portion of the race, swim safety personnel noticed and responded to an athlete in difficulty.'
It added: "The athlete received immediate medical care while being taken via boat to a designated extraction point on the harbour, where further treatment was administered.
"The athlete was then transported to the hospital where they continued to receive treatment, but sadly passed today."
Their post continued: "Our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the athlete. We will continue to offer them our support and keep them in our thoughts as they go through this challenging time.
"We are deeply grateful to the swim safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athlete with medical assistance.'
Sam is youngest Ironman competitor to have died in two year period that has seen four deaths.
It follows the death of grandfather Andrew Ireland, 61, from Bridgend, in 2023 when he drowned during the 750feet swim in the first section of the gruelling three-part race.
In 2023, two men died while taking part in an Ironman triathlon event in Co Cork, Ireland. The men, one aged in his 40s and the other in his 60s, died in separate incidents during the swimming segment of the triathlon held in Youghal.
The men were pulled from the water by emergency services before being pronounced dead by medical personnel.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
14 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Sir Alex Ferguson buys Glasgow flat after selling mansion
According to the Scottish Sun, Govan-born Sir Alex has purchased a property in the West End. The newspaper revealed he paid £500,000 for a luxury flat in Hyndland in September last year, months after selling his Cheshire mansion for £3.25million. A source told the publication: "It's good to see him back in a city he calls home. 'People in Glasgow have loved seeing him.' Sir Alex Ferguson pictured visiting popular Glasgow restaurant (Image: Craig Nelson, Instagram) READ MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson 'still regularly visits' Glasgow bakery READ MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson spotted at Rangers' training centre It comes after a spate of sightings of the former Rangers player, including at the Ger's training centre earlier this month. Women's captain Nicola Docherty shared a photo on social media of herself with the Manchester United legend. It's unclear why Sir Alex was at the Scottish Premiership club's Milngavie base, but Docherty recounted their conversation over coffee. She captioned her Instagram story: "Met a legend today, Sir Alex! "His greatest quote - 'There was no way I could contemplate taking the England job. "Can you imagine me doing that? "A Scotsman? "'I always joked that I would take the position and relegate them'." Sir Alex Ferguson pictured at the Rangers store (Image: X/@4ladshadadream) READ MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson seen buying new Rangers kit in club shop He was also reportedly spotted buying the new Rangers kit.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Newport man went from 23 stone to finishing Swansea Ironman 70.3
Nine months ago, Owen Peddle was 23.5 stone, unhappy with how he looked and unable to swim a full length of a pool. Determined to make a change, he was inspired by two friends and signed himself up for the Swansea Ironman 70.3, a half-distance version of the Ironman triathlon. What faced him was a 1.2-mile swim, followed by a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run, half-marathon distance, to finish. "The real win for me was getting myself to the start line," he said. "The actual event was the cherry on top." The race in Swansea arrived on 6 July, one of the hottest days of the year so far, and saw Mr Peddle cheered around the course by supporters shouting "Pedz" in 32C-heat. He finished in eight hours and 32 minutes. Mr Peddle, from Rogerstone, Newport, gained a huge social media following in the build up to the race as he shared his training on TikTok and Instagram, something he said helped keep him "on the straight and narrow". "I've never really trained this hard or applied myself to anything this much in my life," he DJ and events manager was inspired by two of his closest friends completing a full-length Ironman in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, last September."I was not happy with how I looked or who I was becoming, really" he said. "I just knew something needed to change." Mr Peddle, a former prop who quit rugby at 22, said he chose the event because it was a real challenge for him. "I couldn't do any of it to start," he said. "It's the most unnatural thing to swim, then bike, then run," he playing rugby from the age of 15, he had always "pretty heavy and pretty unfit".After he stopped training for rugby, his fitness levels dropped further. Trips to the gym yielded little result because he was not applying himself properly or enjoying himself."I knew it was bad. I knew something had to change but it just didn't click until I saw that (Ironman) in Tenby." Working with his coach, he built up his strength and stamina gradually, losing four stone (25kg) over the course of his started with 20-minute bike rides and 20-minute runs, alternating one minute running with three minutes of walking."I was getting a bit anxious come Christmas time when I still hadn't run10km and biked over 40km and I hadn't swum the distance in one go," he he put his faith in his coach and waited for the results to was also conscious that he needed to be careful not to injure himself and was worried about his knees and hips in particular."It was also about making sure I don't over-train. It was quite a delicate balance," he the event approached, he was training close to 10 hours a Peddle said the gradual reduction in weight as a result of his training had been much more sustainable than previous attempts to lose weight."Slowly changing stuff for me worked really well," he said. "There's still a long way to go, but it's a nice start."In addition, it brought mental health benefits."The mental clarity that comes with training 10 hours a week is brilliant," he said. Being confident he could complete the event at the start line was "the most important thing", he felt "elated" crossing the finish line. "It was very emotional.""I'm definitely going to do something else like it again," he said."In the future, not next year but in a couple of years, Tenby is on the list, so [is] the full Ironman," he year would be too soon, but "maybe 2027 or 2028", and he would also like to compete in the Ironman 70.3 event again, perhaps abroad."I really do enjoy the training," he said."I wouldn't want to go back to being the person I was, with no motivation and no drive."
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
County legend warns Donegal about the part of Kerry's game they must keep in check during All-Ireland Final
It was a significant success for the north-west side and since then McShea has played a prominent part in helping to promote football within the county. Right now, though, he is on edge ahead of Donegal's meeting with Kerry in the All-Ireland Senior Championship final at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon (3.30pm). McShea, who has watched the current Donegal side lift back to back Ulster titles over the course of the past two seasons, is particularly keen to see the team take delivery of 'Sam' conscious that the trophy has not rested in the county since 2012. And while he believes the current side can test Kerry to the full, he is hugely aware that the Kingdom's track record in the competition is such that they will go into the game as warm favourites. That, however, does not deflect the popular McShea from holding onto the belief that his beloved Donegal could come good on this particular occasion. 'Obviously Kerry have some very big guns in their side and they will pose a huge threat to us no matter how you look at it,' points out McShea. 'I think the important thing is that Donegal hit the ground running and keep the pressure on if they can. Kerry have established a tradition of winning All-Ireland Finals and their players know what will be expected from them on this occasion.' As a polished full-back, McShea grew accustomed to thwarting opposition sides when he was at his peak and he sees several Donegal players in this light going into tomorrow's match. 'We have players like Micheal Murphy, Ryan McHugh, Brendan McCole, Paddy McBrearty, Michael Langan and others who have given outstanding service to the county and it would be great to see the side lift the trophy,' smiles McShea, 'This is a huge challenge for Donegal but I still think that they can rise to the occasion. They will certainly have plenty of backing from thousands of their followers.'
