In 2017, 54-year-old Glen Bruemmer took part in the IRONMAN Texas when something went awry during the swim. Soon, people noticed him struggling towards the end of the course, and then he went underwater. People soon dragged him to the shore and attempted CPR on him, but he couldn’t be saved. It was one occasion that created silence surrounding the event. Nine years later, the same swim event was again marred by tragedy, as a 38-year-old athlete died during the 2026 race.

On April 18, 2026, during the IRONMAN Texas triathlon in The Woodlands, Brazilian athlete and influencer Mara Flavia Souza Araujo took part in the race. She had a strong following of over 64,000 on social media and was known for sharing her endurance training journey. The event began with the open-water swim in Lake Woodlands, a 2.4-mile stretch where athletes entered the water around 7:00 a.m. local time.

Not long after the start, the situation changed. Around 7:30 a.m., officials reported a “lost swimmer” during the swim segment. She was last seen in the water, but then disappeared from sight. Safety boats and rescue teams already on the course responded immediately. But then a full search operation was launched in Lake Woodlands near Northshore Park.

Conditions in the water were reported to have low visibility, which made it harder for rescuers to locate her quickly. Soon after, dive teams and sonar equipment were brought in as the search continued. After around 90 minutes, she was found underwater at an estimated depth of about 10 feet. Rescue teams recovered her and brought her to shore, but she had already died.

IRONMAN officials later confirmed the death, saying a participant had died during the swim portion of the race. “We are saddened to confirm the death of a race participant during the swim portion of today’s IRONMAN Texas triathlon,” the statement said.

Even though she was experienced, over the past few years, she had participated in numerous major endurance races, such as IRONMAN Texas 2023 and the age group IRONMAN World Championships in Kona later that year.

Even authorities said, “Preliminary investigations indicate she drowned during the swimming portion of the event,” officials noted, but also made it clear that the ultimate cause of death will be determined when the autopsy is done.

That uncertainty has only compounded the anxieties that were already simmering long before this latest tragedy, as similar incidents in the swim segments of races attracted attention in recent years.

Two swim deaths in 2025 raise concerns over Ironman safety

In 2025, concern around triathlon swim safety grew after two fatal incidents occurred during IRONMAN 70.3 races in the U.S.

One of the most widely reported cases happened during the IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga event, where an athlete died during the swim portion of the race. According to reports, emergency crews responded while the race was still underway after the athlete was seen in distress in the water. Despite quick medical attention and rescue efforts, the athlete could not be revived. But the name and identity of the athlete have not been announced publicly.

It was another similar tragedy that had occurred earlier in the year in Waco, Texas, during a different IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon. In that case, one of the participants was also experiencing difficulty in the swim phase, and the lifeguards and rescue teams went into the water to help him. The athlete was pulled off the course but died later, and in the BBC report, they added exertional heat stroke as the cause.

Looking at the bigger picture, over time, statistics have revealed that these are not the only cases. According to research by ESPN, 79 deaths occurred during U.S. triathlons in the years 2007 to 2016, 63 of them were during the swim portion. Even as of 2020, media reports by Chron showed that at least 35 named athletes had died in Ironman races globally.

However, organizers of Ironman insist that they have put in place safety measures, including a detailed swim safety checklist and clear race rules and instructions that athletes must stop at the first sign of distress, but in reality, the mass starts and open water swimming result in rules being tested in a way that is hard to regulate.