An experienced triathlete who was pulled from the Russian River during the Vineman half-triathlon on Sunday has died, becoming the latest in a string of mysterious, sudden deaths that have occurred during triathlons around the country.
San Mateo resident Margaret Hinsdale Pometta, 50, died at Sebastopol's Palm Drive Hospital on Monday evening, a day after she went into cardiac arrest during the first event in the three-part race that includes swimming, cycling and running for a combined 70.3 miles.
Pometta had no history of heart disease, and family members still have no idea what caused her heart to fail, said her sister Therese Block, of Chicago.
"She's done triathlons in Hawaii, everywhere," Block said. "We're shocked. Shocked."
Pometta, who started competing in triathlons about 10 years ago, participated in the Vineman 70.3 last year and did a practice swim along the Russian River course two weeks ago, family members said.
"She was adequately trained for this," said her brother-in-law, Lee Block, who competed in Sunday's Vineman with her. "There's no doubt about that."
"There's really no rhyme or reason," he said. "We kind of keep asking ourselves what happened, and we're not coming up with anything."
The rising popularity of triathlon competitions has been accompanied by increased recognition of the challenges inherent in the swim portion - often a claustrophobic, bruising experience in which dozens of swimmers are vying for position in densely crowded, chilly conditions.
People get bumped, kicked, pushed under. Panic and panic attacks are common.
And there have been deaths, including four alone last August - two during the Nautica New York City Triathlon, another in the Ironman Louisville triathlon, and a fourth in a triathlon in Maine, according to the Associated Press.
From January 2006 to September 2008, 14 people died during triathlons - 13 during the swim leg, according to a 2010 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
USA Triathlon, the governing body for sanctioned events, last fall appointed a five-member panel - three physicians and two race directors - to scrutinize the fatalities.
In June, they had completed a preliminary report now under review by a group of medical professionals, race directors and athletes, organization spokesman John Martin said.
About 2,300 athletes participated in the Sunday Vineman, beginning with a 1.2-mile swim out and back from Johnson's Beach in Guerneville.
Lee Block, who was introduced to triathlon competition by his sister-in-law, said conditions for the swim were "perfect."
"The water temperature was great, and it wasn't overly crowded," he said. "It certainly wasn't wavy or anything."
Block, who started in a heat of swimmers right behind Pometta's, said he actually completed the entire race without knowing anything had gone wrong.
His wife, however, and Pometta's 18-year-old daughter were on the shore watching as the medical emergency unfolded.
One of several volunteer lifeguards patrolling in kayaks noticed she was in distress and helped get her to shore, where emergency medical personnel tried to revive her.
Monte Rio Fire Chief Steve Baxman said ambulance personnel continued CPR while Pometta was driven to Palm Drive Hospital.
He said hundreds of swimmers were in the water and, though some observed what was going on, most were too involved in the competition to notice.
A triplet and one of 11 children from a Chicago family, Pometta was married and had three children of her own - ages 17, 18 and 20, Therese Block said. She worked in information services at PG&E and had worked at Genentech, as well.
"She was a wonderful person and amazing in every way, shape and form," Therese Block said. "It's just an incredible loss."
Block said her husband and sister had been excited to do the race together.
"We have pictures of them five minutes before this happened," Block said. "She was full of life and energy five minutes before this happened, and then this happened. It doesn't make sense."
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