Triathlete Who Died During Indian Wells Ironman ID'd As Tech Executive

INDIAN WELLS, CA — The identity of a triathlete who suffered a medical emergency while competing in this past weekend's Ironman competition in Indian Wells was released Tuesday.

The Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau identified the victim as 57-year-old Brett Shirk of Texas. The agency reported that Shirk was pronounced dead at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio.

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Shirk was competing Sunday morning at Lake Cahuilla in the swim portion of the 70.3-mile triathlon when he became distressed. Emergency responders pulled him from the water and transported him to the hospital.

Ironman officials expressed their condolences in a released statement: "We thank the water safety and medical personnel who worked quickly to provide the athlete with medical support. We share our deepest sympathies with the family and friends of the athlete and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time."

Shirk served as chief sales officer at CrowdStrike. The Austin, Texas-based company provides solutions to protect its clients against data breaches. A comment from the company was not immediately available.

The Indian Wells Ironman features a 1.2-mile swim, followed by a 56-mile bike ride, and ends with a 13.1-mile run.

Ironman events draw professional and "age-group" athletes from across the globe.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the death.