Triathlon turns into tragedy

PORT DICKSON: A man drowned and another person has been reported missing while taking part in the PD International Challenge here. The incident is the latest in sporting events that have gone awry.

In the 8am incident yesterday, Tharm Wei Weng, 39, from Penang, was taking part in the swimming event when he drowned after covering 750m.

A police spokesman said Fire and Rescue Department personnel tried to resuscitate the victim but he did not respond. He was rushed to the Port Dickson Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Another athlete Jeffrey Yuen Chi Yuen, 42, from Hong Kong failed to return to the beach after competing in the swimming event. His wife lodged a report with the organisers after failing to locate him.

“She couldn’t find him at the beach, their hotel room or in the common dining area,” the spokesman said.

“A bicycle, which he was supposed to have used in the next event, was not used either. His water bottle was also full,” the spokesman added.

Sportsmen: Tharm (left) and Yuen.

A report was then lodged at the mobile police unit and a search was mounted.

Bernama reported that a committee would be set up to probe Tharm’s death.

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said the committee would be headed by the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali.

“The committee will look into, among others, if there was any breach of conditions or laws,” Syed Saddiq said, after meeting Tharm’s family at the hospital.

Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Aminuddin Harun later told reporters that the tragedy was not due to the negligence of the organiser but was an accident.

The organisers, he said, had switched the route for the swimming event to a safer area after realising that the sea was turbulent early in the morning.

“The security aspect carried out by the organisers has been enhanced compared to the previous edition and it has also obtained the approval of the Fire and Rescue Department.

“But today’s tragedy is unpredictable because as we know it is a challenging sport with risks that have to be taken into consideration,” he said.

Based on newspaper reports, the Port Dickson International Triathlon has been held since 1996, with Malaysia’s Ironman Mohamad Razani Hussain winning the inaugural edition.

Yesterday’s drowning incident shocked many as the event is widely regarded among the triathlon community.

On March 11, four participants of the Run Out Pahang Marathon 2018 were injured after a car crashed into them.

On Dec 10, last year, Evelyn Ang, 44, was hit by a car during the Klang City International Marathon in Selangor. She died on March 1 without regaining consciousness.