Youghal Ironman deaths 'no accident', family tells inquest

Brendan Wall and Ivan Chittenden: Both men were competing in the 70.3 half Ironman section of the event. File pictures

The family of a man who died in an Ironman race in Cork has described his and the death of another contestant as “no accident”.

Brendan Wall, 45, and Canadian Ivan Chittenden, 64, died in separate incidents within minutes of each other in the 2023 Ironman 70.3 in Youghal.

An inquest heard in February that Mr Wall, from Cardrath, Co Meath, was pronounced dead within 10 minutes of Mr Chittenden, from Brantford, near Toronto, on August 20, 2023. At that hearing, assistant State pathologist Dr Margot Bolster said both men died of acute respiratory failure due to drowning.

Although coroner Frank O’Connell recorded a verdict of accidental death in the case, he adjourned the inquest into Mr Wall’s death so evidence of a kayaker who was part of the safety support crew on the day could be heard.

At Friday’s hearing, the coroner gave a narrative verdict which was that the 45-year-old died “in difficult conditions” as a result of drowning while competing in the Ironman contest.

He told the court: “Everybody knew there was some risk involved in this. Everybody signed a waiver as far as I know. It’s not a risk-free race. It was rough on the day, and he did take part in the race.” 

Mr Wall’s brother Martin read out a statement afterwards. In it, he said: “We, as a family, are deeply disappointed by today's verdict.

“We believe there has been a serious lack of accountability for Cork County Council, Ironman, and Triathlon Ireland.

“We are especially distressed that representatives of these organisations were not compelled to attend the inquest to give evidence, denying our legal team the opportunity to seek the answers our family deserved.

“For us, the process was not only about understanding how Brendan lost his life, but also ensuring lessons were learned to help prevent another family experiencing this heartbreak. Sadly, we feel that opportunity has been missed.

No 'meaningful' recommendations

He said they are also disappointed that no "meaningful" recommendations were made on safety measures or oversight to reduce the risk of future tragedies at similar events.

Martin Wall added: “Two accidents in ten minutes is no accident.” 

Some 1,396 competitors took part in the Ironman event on the day.

The inquest heard in February from Ciaran Lewis, for the Wall family, who said that he felt representatives of Ironman and Triathlon Ireland should have been at the inquest in person.

Ironman 70.3, which is named after the distance in miles competitors cover, is a long-distance triathlon consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9km) swim, a 56-mile (90km) cycle, and a 13.1-mile (21.1km) run.

The three different sections are equal to half the distance covered by those who take part in a full Ironman contest.

In 2023, Ironman 70.3 was initially scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 19. However, because of the previous day’s Storm Betty, debris from fallen trees and branches had left the cycle route impassable.

The half Ironman was rescheduled to run on the same day as the full Ironman contest, although with the various triathlon segments running at staggered starting times.

At the start of the inquest, Mr O’Connell said that he had no intention of adjudicating on issues which were outside the scope of the inquest.

Specifically, Mr O’Connell said he wasn’t adjudicating between Ironman and Triathlon Ireland in relation to controversies which had arisen in the aftermath of the deaths.

Mr Wall got engaged to his fiancée Tina just months before his passing, and he was living in Solihull in England.