A fitness influencer from Brazil drowned while competing in an Ironman triathlon in Texas, according to local investigators.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said the participant drowned Saturday during the swimming portion of the event in Lake Woodlands, located about 30 miles north of Houston.
Now, the athlete has been identified as Mara Flavia Souza Araujo, a 38-year-old from Brazil, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office confirmed to The Independent.
The Houston Chronicle described Araujo as an influencer who shared fitness content on her Instagram page, where she had more than 62,000 followers. Araujo’s partner said she was a “dedicated, strong, kind, and a fantastic athlete,” according to local outlet KHOU 11.
“The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office can confirm that a participant in today’s Ironman Triathlon in the Woodlands has drowned while participating in the swim portion of the event,” the agency said in a statement.
“The Woodlands Fire Department completed the rescue in Lake Woodlands near North Shore Park. Once it was determined the participant was deceased, The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office began their investigation into this drowning per normal protocols,” the statement continued.
Rescue crews first received reports of a “lost swimmer” around 7:30 a.m. local time Saturday, Woodlands Fire Chief Palmer Buck told Click2Houston.
“We already had a rescue boat on the scene; they were out as part of the racecraft working the event. They let us know as we were arriving on scene that they were searching near a buoy for a lost swimmer. We coordinated all of our resources around that buoy,” he said.
“The victim was found in about 10 feet of water on the bottom of the lake. The dive team accessed the victim, brought her up about 9:37 and then brought her over to the shore where she was pronounced [deceased on scene],” he added.
Ironman acknowledged the incident in a social media post shared Saturday.
“We are saddened to confirm the death of a race participant during the swim portion of today’s IRONMAN Texas triathlon. We send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the athlete and will offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. Our gratitude goes out to the first responders for their assistance,” the organization wrote.
Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough also called on the community to pray for Araujo.
“Prayers for the victim and their family. With several hours to go and over 2,700 racers today, please keep them in your prayers,” he wrote Saturday on social media.
The Independent has contacted Ironman for comment.
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