In the "parallel world" of Taiwan there was a lake triathlon held day. It was a 51.5. A team member shared the story of the rescue team getting overwhelmed:
10/18日普悠瑪三鐡第二日，狀況怎麼這麼多，選手在人群中沉下又浮出水面數次又沒呼救，駕駛lRB衝入緊急救援，環看四面，水面救生員每位在救援溺者，怎麼了？
將溺水的選手送至右岸樓梯，還未處理好，大會又來個倒數計時10秒，乀⋯⋯lRB還在選手入水區餒，急速倒車回轉時，選手已跳水，只能加速脫離，一直看後面的船外機，加大油門怕選手的手被船外機打傷，「阿彌陀佛」，嚇死了，今天狀況也太多了吧！
Translation:
On the second day of the Puyuma Triathlon on 10/18, there were so many incidents. The competitor sank in the crowd and surfaced several times without calling for help, drove the lRB into [the crowd] for the emergency rescue, looked around, every lifeguard on the surface was rescuing victims, what happened?
Sending the drowning competitor to the stairs on the right shore, while not yet completed, and the organiser had another 10 second countdown, eh....the lRB was still in the start zone, while [I was] reversing rapidly, the competitors had already dived, could only accelerate to escape and keep watching the outboard engine in the back, increased the throttle for fear that the competitor's hand would be injured by the outboard engine. "Amitabha", was scared to death, so many incidents today!
He also mentioned that he tried to yell to the organiser to hold that wave but it was too late, and the competitor was rushing to distance within a "torpedo buoy" (the tool used by lifeguards) behind the IRB.
There are some comments of thanks and encouragement under the post, and also a comment stating:
這種泳客要他留在自家浴缸玩就好 會累慘人 (This kind of swimmers please let him to play in his home path, [he] would burden people.)
This post was quoted into a triathlon group, and some of the comments are:
很多人太小看這個運動了 (Many people underestimate this sport)
Another comment:
來報名226吧，至少報名的人不是來玩遊戲的 (Come and sign up a 226, at least those signing up are not playing a game)
and got a response:
去年不知道哪一場226有一個下水後打水完全不會前進還後退，最後在起點就被撈起來，記得有經典影片...
(Last year, I didn’t know which 226 had one competitor who after starting even didn't know how to kick forward but getting backward. In the end, he was picked up at the starting point. Remember there was a classic video...)
Some other notable comments include:
如果連在活水湖游泳都有問題，那還真是不負責任，活水湖其實是一個超大泳池，沒有水流沒有浪花的干擾⋯⋯ (It is so irresponsible if even swimming in that lake is a problem. That lake is actually a huge swimming pool, with no currents and waves interfering...)
活水湖都游這麼難過了，那LAVA澎湖站怎麼辦...... (if feeling so difficult swimming that lake, how could even manage LAVA Penghu race......)
This race is one of the first major race after COVID restrictions are lifted in Taiwan. There was a trial swim session yesterday afternoon but not immediately before the race. The Facebook post is here. Go to see those magnificent comments.
To people in other countries, do you see something like this in your local major races that the rescue team were overwhelmed even in a 51.5 lake race without waves and currents? Apart from the direct reason causing the danger (organiser sending start waves when the start area was not cleared completely), did it suggest that there were not enough lifeguards (as it's a realistic expectation that 51.5 is a beginner's race) or not?
Quote:
#我的三鐡協勤日記 10/18日普悠瑪三鐡第二日，狀況怎麼這麼多，選手在人群中沉下又浮出水面數次又沒呼救，駕駛lRB衝入緊急救援，環看四面，水面救生員每位在救援溺者，怎麼了？
將溺水的選手送至右岸樓梯，還未處理好，大會又來個倒數計時10秒，乀⋯⋯lRB還在選手入水區餒，急速倒車回轉時，選手已跳水，只能加速脫離，一直看後面的船外機，加大油門怕選手的手被船外機打傷，「阿彌陀佛」，嚇死了，今天狀況也太多了吧！
Translation:
Quote:
#MyTriathlonVolunteeringDiary On the second day of the Puyuma Triathlon on 10/18, there were so many incidents. The competitor sank in the crowd and surfaced several times without calling for help, drove the lRB into [the crowd] for the emergency rescue, looked around, every lifeguard on the surface was rescuing victims, what happened?
Sending the drowning competitor to the stairs on the right shore, while not yet completed, and the organiser had another 10 second countdown, eh....the lRB was still in the start zone, while [I was] reversing rapidly, the competitors had already dived, could only accelerate to escape and keep watching the outboard engine in the back, increased the throttle for fear that the competitor's hand would be injured by the outboard engine. "Amitabha", was scared to death, so many incidents today!
He also mentioned that he tried to yell to the organiser to hold that wave but it was too late, and the competitor was rushing to distance within a "torpedo buoy" (the tool used by lifeguards) behind the IRB.
There are some comments of thanks and encouragement under the post, and also a comment stating:
Quote:
這種泳客要他留在自家浴缸玩就好 會累慘人 (This kind of swimmers please let him to play in his home path, [he] would burden people.)
This post was quoted into a triathlon group, and some of the comments are:
Quote:
很多人太小看這個運動了 (Many people underestimate this sport)
Another comment:
Quote:
來報名226吧，至少報名的人不是來玩遊戲的 (Come and sign up a 226, at least those signing up are not playing a game)
and got a response:
Quote:
去年不知道哪一場226有一個下水後打水完全不會前進還後退，最後在起點就被撈起來，記得有經典影片...
(Last year, I didn’t know which 226 had one competitor who after starting even didn't know how to kick forward but getting backward. In the end, he was picked up at the starting point. Remember there was a classic video...)
Some other notable comments include:
Quote:
如果連在活水湖游泳都有問題，那還真是不負責任，活水湖其實是一個超大泳池，沒有水流沒有浪花的干擾⋯⋯ (It is so irresponsible if even swimming in that lake is a problem. That lake is actually a huge swimming pool, with no currents and waves interfering...)
Quote:
活水湖都游這麼難過了，那LAVA澎湖站怎麼辦...... (if feeling so difficult swimming that lake, how could even manage LAVA Penghu race......)
This race is one of the first major race after COVID restrictions are lifted in Taiwan. There was a trial swim session yesterday afternoon but not immediately before the race. The Facebook post is here. Go to see those magnificent comments.
To people in other countries, do you see something like this in your local major races that the rescue team were overwhelmed even in a 51.5 lake race without waves and currents? Apart from the direct reason causing the danger (organiser sending start waves when the start area was not cleared completely), did it suggest that there were not enough lifeguards (as it's a realistic expectation that 51.5 is a beginner's race) or not?