Local authorities have confirmed that 59-year-old Patrick Hayden of Las Vegas, Nevada died during the swim leg of the Pumpkinman Triathlon on Saturday, October 19, 2013. The event took place at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada. According to a representative of the recreation area, Hayden was spotted by a kayaker on the swim course at 8:55 a.m. Park rangers then pulled him into a patrol boat and administered CPR. Hayden was transported to Boulder City Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:30 a.m.
According to research conducted by ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” Hayden’s death represents the eighth triathlon related death this year and the 53rd in the United States since 2007. Of these 53 deaths, 45 have occurred during the swim leg of the race. For more on this troubling trend, click here to check out Bonnie Ford’s feature for ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” entitled “Trouble Beneath The Surface.”