Officials have confirmed a 64-year-old man died and a 40-year-old woman was left in critical condition after both went in to cardiac arrest during the swim portion of the Nautica New York City Triathlon on Sunday.
“On behalf of all of us in the triathlon community, our thoughts and prayers are with the athletes and their loved ones,” Nautica Triathlon director Bill Burke said in a statement.
“Nobody goes into this event expecting this type of tragedy,” Burke said later. “It’s one of those unforeseen life events that happens when you get this many people to participate in physical activity.”
The man has been identified as Michael Kudryk of Freehold, New Jersey. The woman’s name not been released. Kudryk, who was part of a three person relay team, was pulled from the Hudson River around 8 a.m. He was taken to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital where he died. It is unclear when the woman went in to cardiac arrest. She was also taken to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital where she remains in critical condition.
The triathlon includes a 10k run, a 1,500-meter swim and a 40-kilometer bike ride. In the 11 year history of the race, only one other person has died. Esteban Neira, 32, died in 2008 during the swim portion. His death was linked to a disease that caused high blood pressure.
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