Family says two deaths in ten minutes at Ironman event ‘no accident’

Olivia Kelleher

The family of one of two men who died during the swim section of an Ironman event in Youghal, Co Cork in 2023 have warned that the two deaths of participants in the space of just ten minutes “is no accident.”

Ivan Chittenden (64) from Brantford near Toronto and Brendan Wall (45) from Cardrath, Co Meath were pronounced dead on the morning of August 20th, 2023.

Although the men died in separate incidents, they were both competing in the 70.3 half Ironman section of the Youghal race. Sections of the Ironman event had been delayed in the wake of Storm Betty arising out of poor conditions.

The inquest into the death of Mr Wall resumed on Friday in Youghal, having previously opened in February of this year.

At that time, Coroner Dr Margaret Bolster indicated that both men died of acute respiratory failure due to drowning. Verdicts of accidental death have now been recorded in relation to both men.

Speaking after the inquest, Martin Wall, a brother of the late Brendan Wall, said that there was a “serious lack of accountability from 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, this process was not only about understanding how Brendan lost his life, but also about ensuring lessons were learned to help prevent another family from experiencing this heartbreak. Sadly, we feel that opportunity has been missed.

"We are also disappointed that no meaningful recommendations were made on safety measures or oversight to reduce the risk of future tragedies at events like this. We had hoped for leadership, courage and a willingness to address the wider issues raised, but we leave feeling let down.”

He said that whilst the verdict marked the end of the process, there was no closure for their family.

“We will carry Brendan's loss forever, honour his memory every day, and continue to hope that meaningful change will come from this tragedy so other families may be spared this pain.”

Mr Wall's inquest had been adjourned until today to allow an additional witness to give evidence.

Kayaker Catherine Sheehan was volunteering at the event on the day in the capacity of swim safety support. She said that she became concerned when she spotted that a man who was about 12 ft in front of her was swimming in the direction of the wall and the rocks towards the end of the race.

She said that she shouted at the male swimmer to change course and that he did so. She said that at that point, it was chaotic in the sea and that there were a lot of tired swimmers.

Ms Sheehan said that the man, whom she believes was Brendan Wall, was going for it to finish the race. She noted that he suddenly stopped swimming. She feared that he might have had a heart attack.

She waved her paddle and blew her whistle to raise the alarm. She said that a rescue swimmer went to the assistance of Mr Wall. Mr Wall was face down, and she let the others help him as she was afraid she would fall out of her kayak and on top of him.

Ms Sheehan said that there was a lot of mayhem and a lot of people struggling in the sea that day. She was there in her capacity as a volunteer for a scouting group. Ms Sheehan said that a lot of the swimmers were exhausted.

“Some of them couldn’t even stand. I was struggling to keep my kayak in one place. Conditions were very difficult. I have been out in rough conditions before, but nothing like that.”

She said that conditions were poor on the day, and there was uncertainty as to whether the race would even start.

Barrister Eamon Shanahan, representing the Wall family, told the Coroner that he was disappointed at the decision not to ask representatives of Ironman and Triathlon Ireland to give evidence at the inquest.

Mr O’Connell said that “everyone signed a waiver” and that it was “not a risk-free race.”

He said that unfortunately, something acute happened to Mr Wall at the end of the race, leading to his sudden drowning.

“It may well have been associated with exhaustion and tiredness.” A verdict of accidental death was recorded in relation to Mr Wall. A narrative verdict was also read into evidence at the request of Mr Shanahan.

Mr O’Connell said that “contrary to the intention of everyone, something went wrong” on the day leading to the death of Mr Wall, who was participating in an Ironman amidst “difficult conditions.”

He offered his heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Mr Wall following the “most unexpected” death of their loved one.

“It should have been a great day out. It was an extraordinary outcome that two people died by drowning in Youghal that day.”

Legal representatives of Ironman and Triathlon Ireland also offered their condolences to the family of Mr Wall.

The inquest previously heard 1,396 competitors took part in the Ironman event on the day, with 52 failing to finish the swim section of the race. Among that number were the two competitors who died.

The inquest previously heard from Tina McKay, the fiancée of Brendan Wall. She said that Brendan was risk-averse and never skipped his training.

Ms McKay said that Brendan would never have participated in the race if he thought that there were any safety issues. She noted that he was in great health prior to the race and was well-trained.

Mr Wall got engaged to his fiancée Tina McKay just months before his passing and was living in Solihull in the West Midlands in the UK. He was a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and also completed an MBA in the University of Hull.

At the time of his death, he was employed as a sales director at Top Tubes Ltd in Wednesbury in the UK.

Chittenden had studied business at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada. He retired from Ernst and Young, where he was a senior partner in 2021.