Woodlands man dies during swim portion of Ironman; victim's name released

Triathletes compete in the swimming portion of the Ironman North American Championship, Saturday, April 22, 2017, in The Woodlands. Triathletes compete in the swimming portion of the Ironman North American Championship, Saturday, April 22, 2017, in The Woodlands. Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 117 Caption Close Woodlands man dies during swim portion of Ironman; victim's name released 1 / 117 Back to Gallery

Montgomery County Precinct 3 officials have confirmed the name of the man who died during the swimming portion of the Memorial Hermann Ironman in The Woodlands Saturday morning.

Around 8:15 a.m., spectators noticed Glen Bruemmer, 54, of The Woodlands, in distress near the finish of the 2.4-mile swim portion of the race in Lake Woodlands and then saw him go under the water, according to officials. The man did not resurface.

"A couple of (spectators) dove in and he was removed from the water within less than a minute," Precinct 3 Constable Chief Deputy Matt Rodrigue said.

He said paramedics quickly began CPR on Bruemmer before he was transported to Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Rodrigue said family members did confirm this was Bruemmer's seventh Ironman competition.

Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Eddie Connelly said an autopsy will be performed Monday to determine whether a medical condition caused Bruemmer to go into distress.

In a statement, Ironman officials said they were "deeply saddened" to hear of the death.

"Our condolences go out to the athlete's family and friends, whom we have been in contact with and will continue to support," the statement read. "As with any event of this nature, we will work with the local authorities to gather all the details on how this incident occurred and will continue to do everything possible to provide a safe environment for our athletes."

The Ironman includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.

This is not the first time there has been a death during a triathlon in The Woodlands.

In 2008, Randolph Parnell, 51, of Conroe, was among about 900 competitors taking part in the CB&I triathlon at Northshore Park when he died during the swimming leg of the race.