A fitness influencer has tragically died during the Ironman triathlon in Texas, after disappearing in the opening stage of the race.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Mara Flávia, 38, vanished during the open-water swim in Lake Woodlands on Saturday morning. The swim is the first of three disciplines in the grueling 140-mile endurance event.
She was located roughly three hours after she went missing and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fitness Influencer Dies During Ironman Swim in Texas
Flávia, a Brazilian influencer with more than 60,000 followers, had entered the water as part of the early morning swim, which began as early as 6AM.
Emergency services were alerted after a swimmer was reported missing. This prompted a large-scale search effort involving the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and Woodlands Township Fire Department.
Woodlands Fire Chief Palmer Buck told Click2Houston that crews were first alerted to a missing swimmer at approximately 7:30AM.
"The body of the swimmer was located around 9 a.m., authorities said," Fox 26 Houston's Steven Ardary wrote.
"Officials said low visibility in the water made rescue operations difficult, but radar was able to detect the person and recover them."
Buck added that Flávia's body was found approximately 10 feet below the surface of the lake.
Ironman Texas organizers later confirmed the tragedy in a statement.
"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," a statement read. "Our gratitude goes out to the first responders for their assistance."
Volunteer Describes Desperate Attempts to Save Swimmer
Authorities have since launched a standard investigation into the incident.
"The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office also confirmed that 'a participant in today's Ironman Triathlon in the Woodlands has drowned while participating in the swim portion of the event,'" the police department said.
"Once it was determined the participant was deceased, The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office began their investigation into this drowning per normal protocols."
Volunteer Shawn McDonald recounted the harrowing moment. As he entered the water in an attempt to help locate Flávia.
"After about a minute underwater, I felt her body with my foot," he wrote in a social media post. "I surfaced, took what seemed like the deepest breath I have ever taken and went back down."
"She was gone. I don't know how to describe what that felt like. I tried again. And again. And again"
He said he "lost count" of how many times he dove beneath the surface over the next hour, desperately trying to find her.
McDonald, who had been volunteering alongside his 12-year-old daughter. He later admitted he may not have fully grasped the risks he was taking in the moment.
