Dutch lawyer dies during triathlon in Italy

Lawyer Jan Willem Koeleman from Utrecht died while participating in a triathlon in Italy on Sunday morning. The 54-year-old man became unwell during the swimming leg of the race and drowned, the Telegraaf reports.

Koeleman took part in the half-triathlon of the Forte Village Challenge in southern Sardinia. This involved 1.9 kilometers of swimming, 90 kilometers of cycling and 21 kilometers of running, according to the newspaper.

The Dutch lawyer had a heart attack shortly after the start of the race, according to the organization - a luxury resort on the Italian island. Italian media reports that bystanders saw him grab his chest around 100 meters from the shore. He was taken out of the water, and a medical team tried to resuscitate him for over an hour. But it was to no avail.

The organizers of the triathlon released a statement saying that they are "very sad" about Koeleman's death, according to the Telegraaf.

Koeleman worked as an injury lawyer for nearly 25 years. During his career, he assisted the relatives of victims of the Faro aviation disaster in 1992.