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"Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon"
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What do you think of that headline?

http://www.ktla.com/...cues,0,4209433.story

There is so much wrong with this. 169, nearly 200? OK, rounding up, but it's a stretch. Rescued? what's the definition? the story actually says 169 swimmers were "helped out of the water" by lifeguards. Dragged out? Sledded out? Brought on a boat? Picked them up after the fell in a hole while exiting the surf? What the hell does that mean?

I wasn't there, but we had reports on this site, and BT and facebook, this was the first I had heard of the mass "rescues". Had this been true, the sites wold have been screaming. Conditions were reported to be calm (way calmer than last year).

I know triathletes get a bad rap in the water. And sometimes it's well deserved. But this is just shoddy attention catching "journalism"
Last edited by: ChrisM: Oct 8, 10 12:52
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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"Headless Body found in Topless Bar".

Sensational headlines produce responses like..... well, yours. It's what the publisher want.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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Unless the fire dept has 169 incident reports written up, it didn't happen. That would have been a simple question for the reporter to ask instead of going with what the fire dept pulled out of the air. Perhaps the fire dept had a boat/jet ski/surf board out in the water and were counting every swimmer that grabbed onto it for a breather, to adjust goggles, or for whatever reasons. It's more than possible to have 169 out 3,000 swimmers grabbing onto to something out there during the swim.


__________________________________________________________________________
My marathon PR is "under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something."
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [zoom] [ In reply to ]
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Can't wait for tomorrow's headline(s)....

Over 2000 swimmers in Hawaii exit ocean in near panic
Source tells of seeing people running out of the water wild eyed and appearing confused


Cyclists stage mass protest over Hawaiian highway
Disgusted by mobs in underwear running loose in paradise


British woman wins Men's title in Kona


Later!

Brian

Swim. Bike. Run. Repeat as necessary.
Welcome to the Church of Briantriology!
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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It's a scheme to charge more money next year. When I was a summer lifeguard, in a mild summer, they wanted us to "rescue" anyone and everyone who even looked at the surf sideways. They wanted to help assure next year's budget wouldn't be cut.

Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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It was calm once you got out to the first marker. There where some good sets and it was the luck of the draw as to what wave you where in if you were effected. Someone later told me that the mens 35-39 wave got nailed. I didn't see one rescue or even one person hanging on a board. Lot's of breast stroking, but that's for another thread.
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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I was there.
Surf was 1-3 with the occasional 5' set coming through. No real current to speak of. I was one of the later waves to start the Oly and I only saw the lifeguards 'assist' a few people. I didn't see anything I would call a 'rescue'.
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [Bullseye] [ In reply to ]
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The article I saw also said that we swam 9.3 Miles....awesome typo!


-------------------------------
I'm faster in Kilometers!
Wattie Ink Triathlon Team
Powered by Accelerate 3
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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I raced LA as well and the conditions this year were very calm. I was in a pretty early wave so I didn't see everything but you never know what is going to happen with an ocean swim. People panic and need to be rescued.
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [tribritre] [ In reply to ]
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Huge.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [actiondcpd] [ In reply to ]
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Agreed, but my issue isn't that "it was calm so people shouldn't need to be rescued." The only time I was ever rescued from the water (and, it was a "rescue") was in the flat calm waters of tempe town lake. Wasn't panic, but it was a rescue nonetheless.

My issue is that 200 people were not, in fact, "rescued" unless KTLA is using that term in a way that I am not familiar with.

And if my wife reads that she's not going to be happy next time I want to sign up :)
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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I wouldn't have known about this had I not read it here...so who is spreading bad journalism? HA!
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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Only person hospitalized was a lifeguard?
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Re: "Nearly 200 Swimmers Rescued During L.A. Triathlon" [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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It is just out and out poor journalism, the headline says "Rescued" although in the article it says assisted out off the water. Note also we swim and bike in miles but run in kilometres (must be a european event the run!) It is just some crappy college student wannbe journo trying his\her very poor hand at writing. Ignore it or better still let's all email the web site and complain about how poor the article very obviously is so instead of bemoaning it we are taking some form of action and protest
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