Ontario man drowns during Ironman race in Rocky View County, Alta.
Alberta RCMP say a man, who was participating in an Ironman race, has drowned during the competition.
Officials were called to Harmony Lake in Rocky View County, Alta., Sunday morning for reports of a drowning.
"The Ironman competition was operating today in the Rocky View County area," said Cpl. Troy Savinkoff of the Cochrane RCMP. "The actual swimming part of the race was at the new Harmony Lake community just outside of Calgary. At 7:55, our detachment received a complaint that one of the volunteers had located somebody in the water."
When emergency crews arrived, they discovered volunteers had already helped the victim, a 47-year-old Ontario man, from the water.
Despite the life-saving efforts of volunteers and EMS, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
He has not been identified, but RCMP say next of kin has been notified.
The medical examiner has been contacted to confirm the man's cause of death.
Meanwhile officials with the Ironman 70.3 Calgary race said they are "incredibly saddened" to hear of the death of the race participant.
"During the swim portion of Sunday’s race, swim safety personnel recognized the athlete in distress requiring immediate medical attention," the organization wrote in an emailed statement.
"We share our greatest sympathies with the family and friends of the athlete and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. We thank the swim safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athlete with medical support."
It added, out of respect for the victim's family, no other information will be released.
Harmony Lake is located approximately a half hour west of Calgary.
Savinkoff said the Ironman race is believed to be continuing despite the incident.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.
Canada Post’s newest stamp features special cookies for Islamic holiday
Canada Post’s newest specialty stamps feature “melt-in-your-mouth” desserts to mark two Islamic festivals, the crown corporation announced Thursday.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6 per cent in January as Quebec strikes end
Canada's real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December, Statistics Canada said Thursday.