It is not the first time that participants in the Isuzu Ironman have died during the competition.

Two participants experienced medical emergencies during the swim leg in Mossel Bay yesterday morning and were taken to the hospital, where it was later confirmed that both had passed away.

During the 2014 Spec Savers Ironman 70.3, two competitors drowned.

The well-known sportsman who is responsible for the local cyclists’ daily training programme, Patrice Gautier, said he himself participated that day.

It was his first Ironman, and he finished third in the age group for men 40 to 44 years.

He said that his wife, Heidi, was anxious for the Gautier family to get out of the water safely, after it was announced that two swimmers had drowned.

Danie du Plessis, Chantelle Honeyborne, Andrew Thomson, and Angelique Steyn from Middelburg also participated in the Ironman yesterday.

• Sergeant Chris Spies told the Mossel Bay Advertiser that the two men who passed away were aged 29 and 58.

• Ironman told the Advertiser that during the swim, safety personnel responded to two separate incidents, about 15 minutes apart.

“One athlete was extracted at approximately 400 metres, and the other at around 1 000 metres. Each athlete was taken to the designated extraction point for urgent medical care before being transported in individual ambulances to the hospital.

“Our hearts go out to their families, friends, and loved ones, and together with the triathlon community, we mourn the loss of two fellow athletes. We will continue to offer our support to the athletes’ families as they go through this very difficult time,” said Ironman.

“We also extend our sincere gratitude to the safety personnel and first responders who worked quickly to provide the athletes with medical support. In respect of the families and athletes’ privacy during this time, we will have no further comment.”

The Isuzu Ironman 70.3 Mossel Bay consists of a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21.1km run, equalling a total distance of 113km.