Dead triathlete “suffered heart attack”

CHERNG TALAY: Laguna Phuket this morning confirmed that Briton William Scott Stewart, 43, died after suffering a heart attack during the swim leg of the Laguna Phuket Triathlon yesterday.

Debbie Dionysius, Laguna Phuket’s Director of Destination Marketing, told the Gazette that Mr Stewart was unconscious when he was pulled from the water. He was then taken to Bangkok Hospital Phuket, where he died at 11:08 am.

She explained that safety staff posted to monitor swimmers were watching Mr Stewart while he was swimming after he veered off course. “He was rescued from the water when he was about 20 meters from shore,” she said.

“He had trained for [the triathlon]. He was a good swimmer, and he had prepared for the event,” she added.

On his registration form, Mr Stewart had not noted any pre-existing medical conditions.