Latest news with #EscapeFromAlcatrazTriathlon
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Chicago firefighter begins battle back after being paralyzed during San Francisco triathlon
*Editor's note: A link supporting Chicago firefighter Jose Perez in his recovery can be found at the bottom of this article. (WGN) — Paralyzed ten days ago in the middle of a San Francisco triathlon, injured Chicago firefighter Jose Perez is beginning the battle back after multiple surgeries. Perez was on the West Coast for the June 1 Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon when he launched himself off a boat, and a freak collision left him face down in the waters near the Golden Gate Bridge. 'I just felt a big boom,' Perez said. '[I] just hit the back of my head.' Perez described the moment over Zoom from his San Francisco hospital bed. Another triathlon swimmer landed on top of him, leaving him paralyzed. 'I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything and I was telling myself, 'come on man! Start swimming!'' Perez said. 'But I couldn't do anything.' More from Julian: Emotional plea from Michael Madigan's wife seeks leniency before his sentencing The 35-year-old firefighter said the swim portion of the Triathlon felt chaotic and disorganized, with transport boats delivering numerous triathletes to a jump-off point. Swimmers jumped off the transport boats in droves. Perez said he was fully aware of what was happening, even after the collision. 'I actually remember everything very vividly. I never lost consciousness,' Perez said. 'There was another swimmer that just happened to be in the water, saw what happened, [and] came on by. He turned my head over, turned me on my back and just started yelling for help.' San Francisco Fire Department marine units on Jet Skis took Perez to shore before rushing him to Zuckerberg General Hospital, where specialists in spinal cord injuries performed emergency surgery. Several days later, Perez went under the knife again, this time for spinal decompression surgery. The end result helped Perez regain movement to portions of his arms, hands and feet, but doctors warn it's a long road to recovery. Perez said he faces at least a year of treatment and rehab with uncertain long-term results expected from his efforts. His family and friends have started a GoFundMe page to help with growing medical expenses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
25-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Triathlon, S.F. tourism would suffer under Trump's dopey Alcatraz initiative
President Trump has a brilliant idea, six words that should strike terror into every heart. Trump's latest inspiration is to restore Alcatraz to a working federal prison. Picture it: Convicts locked up behind gold bars. A Trump Bible in every cell. Inmates working in the prison factory assembling Teslas. In floating this idea, Trump may have been simply testing to see just how obsequious his appointees can get. Apparently, there is a contest in progress. Well, we have a new leader in the grovel sweepstakes. William K. (Billy) Marshall, Trump's recent appointee to director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, didn't merely support the Alcatraz plan, he put it to poetry. Marshall said on Fox TV, 'When you think of Alcatraz, you think of Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Lambeau Field, those types of facilities — you get that kind of feeling about Alcatraz when you think of those historical venues.' Indeed, for those of us who cherish American history, Trump's proposal did bring back a flood of memories from famous venues — the home runs, the touchdowns, the cafeteria shankings. Hey, they really did play baseball at Alcatraz back in the day. Who can forget the legendary double-play combo of Birdman to Scarface to Machine Gun? Jokes aside, there are serious ramifications to Trump's proposal. Alcatraz is a vital part of San Francisco Bay recreation and tourism. Turning the Rock back into a real prison would be a major hit to the economy and the soul of the region. Only a cynic would suggest that at least part of the reason Trump loves this plan is that it would be serious blow to his least favorite city and state. Alcatraz tours generate about $60 million per year, most of which goes to the National Park Service, which is already being slammed by Trump budget cuts. Tourism is San Francisco's biggest moneymaker, and Alcatraz is probably No. 2 (to the Golden Gate Bridge) on tourists' must-see lists. About 1.6 million tourists visit Alcatraz every year. The swim from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park is also world famous, and that would be threatened. The Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon began in 1981 and draws 2,000 competitors each year, plus thousands of spectators. There are other popular annual events, including the Alcatraz Open and the Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim, and almost daily supervised swims. All of that business and fun could go away, since it seems unlikely that the Bureau of Prisons would welcome boatloads of swimmers being dumped into the water a few feet from a max security lockup. Wouldn't want to give the bad guys any ideas, remind them that children and the elderly routinely make that swim. A dog once did it, easily. So did the late Jack LaLanne, shackled and towing a rowboat. This plan must have been approved by the DOGI, the Department of Government Inefficiency. Restoring Alcatraz to active prison status would cost an estimated $1 billion-plus, and it would cost tens of millions per year to run it. But how can you put a price tag on making a silly spectacle of locking up 200 prisoners? Can't wait to see the first prisoners shuffling off the boat and onto the Rock, dancing to 'YMCA.' More deep thoughts & cheap shots • Sutter Health Park was supposed to be a homer-happy ballyard, and it has been exciting for fans of the Sacramento A's, if by 'exciting' you mean 'disappointing.' Going into Friday's games, there were 73 home runs hit at Sutter's Homer Mill, fifth highest in the majors (Dodger Stadium was tops at 87; Oracle Park had 42, good for 24th). Of those 73 West Sacramento dingers, visiting hitters slugged 45, A's hitters plinked 28. • Honey, I shrunk the buffer zone. Some pitchers — Justin Verlander of the Giants is one — are complaining that the strike zone is snugged up this season. Here's why: In grading umpires on their ball-strike accuracy, MLB used to give the umps a two-inch leeway — a 'buffer zone' — on calls outside the strike zone. This season the buffer zone is down to three-fourths of an inch, so fewer edgy pitches are called strikes. Can we just end all this silly millimeter calculus and bring in computerized ball-strike umpiring? • There's something odd about the San Francisco 49ers signing a kicker to compete in training camp and preseason with Jake Moody. If Kyle Shanahan still has doubts about Moody's ability to kick under pressure, after watching him for two seasons, maybe it's time to let him walk. 'As long as we bring in a guy who is capable of taking that job, and Jake respects him, that's what puts pressure on him,' Shanahan said. If it's a good thing to put pressure on a guy whose performance has faltered, should Shanahan bring in Colin Kaepernick to compete with Brock Purdy? • The caissons are marching along, apparently. The A's ballpark construction crews in Las Vegas haven't exactly broken ground yet, but they're pushing it around. The team says grading is under way on the land upon which will rest their new ballpark. Caissons, holes for pilings, are being dug. Cranes will arrive by mid- to late June. The official groundbreaking ceremony is TBD. Seems odd to break ground after construction has begun, but the A's swear they are on schedule to open in 2028, and when have they ever failed to live up to their promises? • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a marvelous player, but if I had an MVP vote I would not cast it for a notorious flopper. So many guys in the NBA — and it's creeping into the WNBA — have completely lost the ability to play basketball without the slapstick pratfalls.
