“We had an athlete who did not survive and passed away; it was an unusual situation, but all emergency services were mobilized. He began to feel unwell and collapsed in a relatively easy section of the course. He was immediately attended to by other athletes followed by a doctor and all emergency services that were promptly deployed. The care was provided on site as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, despite the medical teams’ efforts, the athlete did not survive,” stated Armando Teixeira, the race director, to Lusa.
The victim was 71 years old, as specified by a source from the Beiras e Serra da Estrela Sub-regional Command to Lusa, and the incident occurred during a long-distance trail running event in the Lagoa do Serrano area, in the parish of Loriga, in the Seia municipality.
“The athlete was participating in the 50-kilometer distance, an intermediate event of the race. The alert was given at 12:05 PM. He was an experienced athlete, well-known in these competitions,” revealed Armando Teixeira.
He further added, “Unfortunately, these things happen, and we deeply regret it. On behalf of the organization, I express our sincerest condolences to the family, friends, colleagues of the athlete, and the entire running community.”
The race director also noted that the event was interrupted around 12:30 PM, but due to a significant deterioration in weather conditions.
“We have two completely distinct and separate episodes here. First, there was this situation with the athlete’s sudden death. Later, 20 or 30 minutes afterward, the event was canceled, but it had nothing to do with this situation, which occurred prior. It’s important to mention that the death had nothing to do with the weather conditions,” he emphasized.
According to the director, “the event was neutralized solely to ensure the athletes’ safety,” who were outside the supply stations, pointing out the unique unpredictability of weather conditions in Serra da Estrela in Portugal.
“We decided to cancel the event because we are already familiar with Serra da Estrela’s characteristics. But I can say that within this context, all resources were activated, and all athletes in the race are safe,” Armando Teixeira stressed.
A source from the Beiras e Serra da Estrela Sub-regional Command had previously reported that the cause of death was a “cardiorespiratory arrest,” and the event was suspended due to “adverse weather conditions, with heavy rain, snow, and fog” in Serra da Estrela.
Thirteen personnel were deployed to the location, supported by five vehicles.
The athlete’s body was transported to the Legal Medicine Institute at Guard Hospital.
