COUNTY CORK, Ireland (KFOR/Storyful) – According to Ironman Triathlon participants, the force of the water off the coast of County Cork, Ireland on Sunday caused several struggling athletes to turn around. They later found out two participants drowned.

The two athletes who lost their lives have been identified as Ivan Chittenden, 64, an accountant from Toronto, Canada, and Brendan Wall, in his mid-40s. Wall was from Ireland but living in England. Both men traveled to County Cork to compete in the “IRONMAN 70.3 Ireland, Cork 2023” triathlon.

According to the Irish Examiner, emergency personnel tended to the two men in the water, as they swam separately. The men were transported back to land, where they were pronounced deceased.

Their bodies were transported to a medical facility for post-mortem examinations.

Local reports stated Storm Betty had battered the area Friday and Saturday. Events on Saturday were moved to Sunday, August 20th, but the seas were still churning.

David Quinn captured the footage at the top of this story, which shows the difficulty athletes faced just trying to get into the water.

Event organizers released the following statement to local media: “During the swim portion of Sunday’s race, safety personnel provided immediate medical attention upon recognizing the athletes were in need of assistance. We share our greatest sympathies with the family and friends of the athletes and will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time.”