A 47-year-old Argentine athlete was found dead in the beach city of Punta del Este after disappearing while entering the sea. Federico Foster, originally from Pergamino, traveled to Uruguay to participate in an Ironman 70.3 championship scheduled to take place there next Sunday. The victim entered the water at Parada 5 of Playa Mansa for a training session prior to the competition, but did not return to the shore after going into the sea at 5 PM, which triggered an extensive search operation.
The Uruguayan Navy reported that a boat and a jet ski were added, as well as more ground personnel from the coast guard, in the search for Foster. Finally, the athlete's body was found at Parada 7.5 of La Mansa and later retrieved by a coast guard vessel. Federico Foster, a renowned triathlete, was a finisher of four Ironman events in Brazil and had qualified for three Ironman World Championships.
The Ironman competition is held annually, and athletes qualify through various performances that the franchise evaluates in cities around the world. After intense searches in buoys and difficult-to-access areas, the tragic outcome was confirmed. 'Gorriti Island was checked overnight and again in the morning,' mentioned Chief Sebastián Sorribas regarding the search efforts. The loss of Federico Foster has caused shock in the sports community, remembering his remarkable career in the triathlon discipline.
