CLEVELAND — A 75-year-old USA Triathlon participant pulled from the water by a U.S. Coast Guard boat patrolling Lake Erie on Saturday morning has died, authorities have confirmed.
The unresponsive man was spotted in the water by the Coast Guard near the Edgewater Marina in Cleveland around 8 a.m. Crews retrieved the man and performed CPR on him. The victim was then transported to a nearby hospital but later died, authorities said.
The man was identified as Jim Hix, of Claremore, Oklahoma.
Hix died while competing in the swimming portion of the Olympic-distance race, officials said.
“Our sport lost a member of its beloved community and we extend our heartfelt condolences to Jim’s wife, Ann, his family and friends,” said USA Triathlon CEO Rocky Harris. “As one of the nation’s top multisport athletes in his age group, Jim and USA Triathlon shared a close relationship and his passing is particularly difficult.”
According to USA Triathlon officials, Hix was the 2017 USA Triathlon Duathlon National Champion in his age group.
