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Woman from Brazil identified as Ironman participant who drowned in Lake Woodlands: MCSO officials
TL;DR
Authorities have identified 38-year-old Mara Flavia Araujo from Brazil as the woman who drowned during the Ironman competition in Lake Woodlands. The incident occurred on Saturday morning while crews responded to a report of a lost swimmer.
Key points
- Mara Flavia Araujo identified as the drowning victim
- Incident occurred during Ironman competition
- Emergency crews responded to Northshore Park
- Drowning reported at about 7:30 a.m.
Mentioned in this story
Mara Flavia AraujoLake WoodlandsMontgomery County Sheriff's Office
Ironman competition
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said a woman from Brazil was the person who drowned in Lake Woodlands in the Ironman competition.
The video above is from a previous report.
Authorities identified the victim as 38-year-old Mara Flavia Araujo.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Ironman participant drowns in Lake Woodlands during triathlon, according to officials
According to the Woodlands Fire Department, crews responded to Northshore Park, located at 2505 Lake Woodlands Dr., at about 7:30 a.m. on Saturday after a call about a lost swimmer in the lake.
Authorities said multiple boats were used in the search, including one with sonar detection equipment, which helps search the water when it has low visibility.
About 30 minutes later, officials said the sonar detected something that sank about 10 feet into the water, which was later confirmed to be Araujo.
Her body was taken out of the water, and she was pronounced dead, according to officials.
The sheriff's office said her official cause of death won't be ready until the autopsy is complete, but preliminary investigations indicated it was a drowning.
This is not the first Ironman athlete to die during the same competition.
Back in 2017, a 54-year-old man died while also swimming in Lake Woodlands.
On Saturday, first responders explained how swimming is not normally allowed in Lake Woodlands due to the "zero visibility" in the water, but exceptions are made for some special events, like the Ironman competition.
"When there are events in this lake, they get a special dispensation." Woodlands Fire Chief Palmer Buck. "Normally...we don't allow swimmers in Lake Woodlands due to the fact of the low visibility conditions and hidden structures, construction materials, and stuff underneath the water."
In a social media post, Ironman officials confirmed the victim was a participant in Saturday's triathlon, with the incident occurring during the swimming portion of the race.
ABC13 reached out to Ironman officials, asking if there would be any changes to the swimming portion of this race, especially because the lake is known to have zero visibility.
Eyewitness News is still waiting to hear back.
Q&A
Who was the woman that drowned in Lake Woodlands during the Ironman competition?
The woman who drowned was 38-year-old Mara Flavia Araujo from Brazil.
What time did the drowning incident occur at Lake Woodlands?
The drowning incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Where is Northshore Park located in relation to the drowning incident?
Northshore Park is located at 2505 Lake Woodlands Dr., where the emergency response took place.
