Two men have died while taking part in an Ironman triathlon event in Youghal, County Cork.
The men, one in his 60s and the other in his 40s, were taking part in the swim section when they got into difficulty in separate incidents.
They were pulled out of the water by the emergency services.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that one of the men was understood to be Irish, but lived in the UK, while the other was from Canada.
The men were taking part in the Ironman 70.3 event, also known as the Ironman Half.
It usually includes a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90.1 km) course, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run.
Irish Police Gardaí said both were pronounced dead by medical staff and the local coroner had been notified.
The event’s organizers, Ironman Ireland, said they were “deeply saddened” by the deaths.
“During the swimming portion of Sunday’s race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon realizing the athletes needed assistance,” she added.
