LAST UPDATE | 28 mins ago

A CANADIAN MAN who competed in Ironman competitions across the globe drowned at an event in Youghal, Co Cork in 2023 after he hit his head off “something very solid,” an inquest has heard.

An inquest in Youghal, Co Cork today heard that Ivan Chittenden (64) from Brantford near Toronto and Brendan Wall (45) from Cardrath, Co Meath were pronounced dead within ten minutes of each other 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.

Chittenden had started training for Ironman competitions and marathons after his wife Dianne Dyer died suddenly in 2011. 

He had found love again following her death meeting his second wife Dr Siobhan Hyland during a trip to Paris, France.

Coroner Frank O’Connell recorded a verdict of accidental death in the case of Chittenden.

The inquest of Wall was adjourned and will be resumed at a later date when a witness to what occurred to him in the water is available to give evidence in person. The case was adjourned for mention for a week to set a date for the resumption of the hearing. 

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster carried out postmortem examinations on both men at Cork University Hospital in the aftermath of the tragedy. Dr Bolster said that both men died of acute respiratory failure due to drowning.

She said that Chittenden had also suffered a recent mild blunt force trauma to the left temporal area of his head which had caused significant bruising. Dr Bolster said that he was alive when the bruising occurred.

Dr Bolster said that the blow to the head could have caused a concussion which impacted on his ability to swim. She said that she couldn’t speculate on what the item was that he may have hit.

“He hit something with his head. That is as far as I can go. He was alive when the bruising occurred. That is beyond a doubt.”

Dr Bolster said that the postmortem on Chittenden showed that there was no evidence of any cardiac event. She said that a person can “drown very rapidly” in the water. 

Dr Bolster said that the bruising was “extensive” and more than she would expect from something like Chittenden sustaining an accidental kick from another competitor.

The Coroner noted that there was no report in relation to rocks in the water on the day. Dr O’Connell said that the death of Chittenden had occurred in an “unexpected manner.”

“There was no bruising on him going into the water. One can only speculate as to how the bruising occurred. That he collided with something very solid. As a matter of probability, it happened before he was taken to the boat (for resuscitation.)”

He said that there was a likelihood that this injury ultimate led him to drown.

Meanwhile, the inquest today heard that that the half Ironman event was cancelled on Saturday 19 August because conditions were deemed unsuitable following Storm Betty the previous day. It went ahead alongside the full Ironman event the following day — albeit with a staggered start time.  

Legal representatives of Ironman and Triathlon Ireland were present at the inquest. However, no actual representatives of the organisations were in attendance. 

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 was the two competitors who died.

John Innes, a volunteer who was involved in the course design and safety, told the inquest that he was very satisfied that it was safe for the swim to go ahead.

He said that the sea was flat beyond the initial rolling waves about 50 or 60 metres out and “calm for the remainder of the course.” He had gone out early that morning with others to test conditions in the water. 

Competitor Conor Hillick gave a statement to gardaí in which he said that conditions were very challenging on the day.

Hillick, who had lifeguard experience in the US, said that it was “very chaotic” in the sea.

“Competitors were swimming into each other…people were struggling.”

Competitor Colin Ryan gave evidence of finding Chittenden motionless and face down in the water. Ryan said that he saw what he thought was a rock or seaweed in his peripheral vision in the water.

He then realised it was a wetsuit and that the participant was lying face down in the water.

He attempted to raise the alarm whilst also helping Chittenden. When he realised Chittenden was unconscious, he commenced CPR in the water.

“I found him (Ivan) face down in the water. I didn’t want to stop CPR so I put my hand up (to raise the alarm). It was about thirty seconds or a minute before somebody was with me and that was a kayaker. He called (for help) on the radio. I asked him if he knew CPR and I told him we would do it from the kayak.”

Ryan said that the nearest safety boat was around 50 metres away. He said that a girl gave them her surf rescue board and they commenced CPR again on Chittenden.  

“I was looking for a sign of a response but there was none. I shouted at a small boat approaching. I told them to mind his head (lifting him on to the boat). Everyone was upset.”

CPR continued on the safety boat when it was noted that Chittenden was grey in colour and foaming at the mouth.

Chittenden was pronounced dead at 9.09am by Dr Hugh Doran. CPR had continued on dry land once Chittenden was taken from the water Resuscitation continued for an hour before he was pronounced dead.  

At the start of the inquest, O’Connell said that he had no intention of adjudicating on issues which were outside the scope of the inquest.  Specifically, O’Connell said he wasn’t adjudicating between Ironman and Traithlon Ireland in relation to controversies which arose in the aftermath of the deaths.

The inquest heard from Ciaran Lewis, SC, for the Wall family who said that he felt that that representatives of Ironman and Triathlon Ireland should have been at the inquest in person.

The inquest had heard that Triathlon Ireland had not been willing to issue a permit for the swimming part of the event to occur without alterations to the course. However, it was revealed by volunteers on the day that two alterations were made to the swimming section on the day.

Experienced swimmer and volunteer David O’Brien, who is an instructor with Irish Water Safety, had gone out for a test swim in the water on the day after an Ironman official asked him to do so.

He said that he felt that that there was no issue with conditions and that he told the Ironman official that it was “fine.”  He felt that that the course was “very manageable.”

Dr Siobhan Hyland said that her husband was an experienced athlete who had completed five full Ironman events as well as half marathons over the course of 12 years prior to his death. He had also completed marathons.

He had a trainer at home in Canada and was wearing a special Garmin device which tracked his movement and vital signs during the Youghal event. She said that neither of them had had concerns about him taking part in the event. She travelled from the US to Ireland when she was informed of the death of her husband.

The inquest also heard from Tina McKay, the fiancée of the Brendan Wall. She said that Brendan “was risk averse” and never skipped his training. He knew Youghal well as his sister Maria was living there. She had also lined up to compete in Ironman on the day.

McKay said that Brendan was mentally and physically prepared for the event. She had accompanied him to Youghal for Ironman and he was “very excited” about it.

She recalled being informed that her fiancé was being worked on at the medical centre. Dr Jason Van Der Velde said that there was “no easy way to tell her that he had passed away.”  She identified his body and also gave gardaí his Garmin watch with all his data.

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.

McKay said that endurance sport was the “main hobby” of her brother. Jane Hyland, SC, for Ironman offered her condolences to both families. When she expressed this sentiment to McKay she responded that the apology had come “two and a half years too late.”

The inquest also heard evidence from Maria O’Connor who told the Coroner that just 11 months separated her and her late brother Brendan. She said that they were “very close.”

She recalled the great excitement she her children felt when Brendan and Tina arrived in town for the Ironman. Their mother and father had also joined them.

O’Connor said that it was a “great novelty” to go out her front door to the Stand to participate in the half Ironman with her bother. O’Connor said that she was on the bike section of the event when she was informed that her brother had been taken to the medical centre.

The inquest was also told that the body of Wall was spotted floating in the water by another swimmer. He was unresponsive. Despite extensive efforts to resuscitate him he was pronounced dead on the morning of the event. Both men died shortly after 9am.

A witness who spotted Wall in the water had her statement read in to evidence. However, his inquest was adjourned as she was not there in person to give a full description of what she had seen on the day. 

Wall got engaged to his fiancée Tina 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.