Escape from Alcatraz triathlon: 46-year-old Swimmer 'dies of heart attack' in Northern California
Pictured: The lawyer and father of three who died during the famous San Francisco 'Escape from Alcatraz' triathlon
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The married father of three who died just one minute after he jumped in the cold water in San Francisco Bay during a triathlon this weekend.
Ross Ehlinger had traveled from his home town of Austin, Texas to participate in the annual Escape from Alcatraz race on Sunday.
The 46-year-old attorney died almost immediately after jumping in the water, and though he is thought to have died because of a heart attack, the medical examiner has not made an official ruling.
Tragic: Ross Ehlinger (center), seen here with his wife Jena and their children Sam (left), Jake (right) and Morgen (second from right), traveled from Austin, Texas to participate in the California race
It is unclear whether or not his wife Jena or his three children- Sam, 14, Jake, 12, and Morgen, 9- were in California with him at the time of the race.
The Statesman newspaper reports that the family supported his athletic endeavors, with one family friend recalling how Jena would say: 'Look at my crazy husband doing a tri at age (almost) 50,' friend Steve Harren said.
'His family was his everything, his whole world. When we’d go paragliding with the kids and we were all nervous, he’d yell, "This is supposed to be fun!" His heart was so big, he was such a gift for us all,' family friend Paige Alam told the paper.
His exact cause of death is still not known, though many thought the cooler temperatures could have contributed. Normally the race is held in June but in order to avoid scheduling complications, they moved it up to this past weekend when the water was 51 degrees.
Athletic: Jena was reportedly proud of how active her 46-year-old husband was before his death
'Was it colder than normal? Yes. But in my opinion the water temperature was not a factor at all in this tragedy. This gentleman obviously had a heart condition he was unaware of,' race organizer Bill Burke told The San Francisco Gate newspaper.
The water was about 10 degrees cooler than last year's water temperature.
Water temperatures were about 51 degrees, air temperatures were in the mid-50s, and 11 mph winds made the air feel closer to the mid-40s, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Normally, when the race is held in June, the bay is anywhere from 54 to 60 degrees, and air temperatures can be in the 70s or higher.
A 46-year-old man died while swimming in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in Northern California Sunday morning.
The man from Austin, Texas is believed to have suffered a heart attack shortly after he entered the San Francisco Bay for the 1.5-mile swimming portion of the triathlon around 7:30 a.m., according a statement by the event¿s organizers
Burke said that the race's water safety team saw the man in the water and began performing CPR as they rushed him to shore.
The rescuers were unable to revive the contender.
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ShareBurke said it was his ‘understanding that this is the first death to ever to take place at the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, which has taken place for 33 years.’
Rescuers pulled about 150 swimmers from the swim portion of the race this year, more than three times the normal number, he said.
The water was about 10 degrees cooler than last year's water temperature when the race was held in June, said Race Director Bill Burke.
Colder than normal: 'Was it colder than normal? Yes. But in my opinion, the water temperature was not a factor at all in this tragedy,' said Burke. 'This gentleman obviously had a heart condition he was unaware of'
The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon starts with a 1.5-mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the shores of the St. Francis Yacht Club.
From there, competitors do an 18-mile bike ride and an 8-mile run through San Francisco's Golden Gate Recreational Area.
The triathlon, among the most challenging in the world, was rescheduled this year because of conflicts with the America's Cup, a series of match races between sailing yachts.
The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon will return to June in 2014, Burke told the Chronicle.
The multiple-stage competition originated in 1981 as a private club event, beginning in San Francisco and ending in Marin County to the north.
Javier Gomez of Spain, 29, won this year, finishing in just over two hours and four minutes.
Rescheduled for March: The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon was rescheduled this year because of conflicts with the America's Cup, a series of match races between sailing yachts
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