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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.