In Memoriam
Brazilian Influencer Dies in Apparent Drowning While Competing in the Ironman Texas Triathlon
Mara Flavia, a Brazilian social media influencer who specialized in fitness content, reportedly died at age 38 after drowning while competing in the Ironman Texas triathlon.
According to a news release from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office shared in a Saturday, April 18 post on Facebook, Flavia, who they did not identify by name, died during the swimming portion of the event.
“The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office can confirm that a participant in today’s Ironman Triathlon in the Woodlands has drowned while participating in the swim portion of the event,” the post reads. “The Woodlands Fire Department completed the rescue in Lake Woodlands near North Shore Park. Once it was determined the participant was deceased, The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office began their investigation into this drowning per normal protocols. MCSO Major Crimes detectives are on scene and will continue their investigation.”
The release adds that an investigation into what happened is ongoing. Meanwhile, the event added a post confirming someone had died during its event on Saturday.
“We are saddened to confirm the death of a race participant during the swim portion of today’s IRONMAN Texas triathlon. We send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the athlete and will offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time. Our gratitude goes out to the first responders for their assistance,” the statement reads.
According to People, it was Brazilian outlets O Globo and O Dia who first reported Flavia’s identity as the victim in the drowning incident.
In a different post on Facebook shared by one of the event’s organizers, Shawn McDonald, he described a group of younger volunteers waving him over as they called for help. He says he immediately dove in to rescue a person he believed to be drowning.
“After about a minute underwater, I felt her body with my foot. I surfaced, took what seemed like the deepest breath I have ever taken and went back down. She was gone,” he wrote. “I don’t know how to describe what that felt like. I tried again. And again. And again. I just knew I would feel her again and could grab her and pull her up. I lost count of how many times I dove over the next hour.”
