Triathlete dies in Vermont

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BURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 18 (UPI) -- A triathlete in his 50s died Saturday after being pulled from the water at Lake Champlain, authorities said.

The man, whose name had not been released, was about three-quarters of the way through the 1,500-meter swimming leg of the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships when competition personnel noticed he was in distress, The Burlington Free Press reported. He was taken to shore and later died at hospital, a hospital spokesman said.

"He was immediately extracted from the water by a motorized rescue boat, where rescue personnel immediately administered CPR and treatment," a USA Triathlon statement said.

"The male athlete in his 50s was transported to Fletcher Allen Healthcare hospital in Burlington, but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful."

Thousands of people competed in age-group competitions in Burlington.

The man's death was the second in two weeks at a triathlon event, the Free Press noted. Last week, at the Ironman U.S. Championship, a 43-year-old man died near the end of the 2.4-mile swim leg in the Hudson River.