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11/09/2013
Comments Off on First Death in Tough Mudder Race Raises Safety Questions

First Death in Tough Mudder Race Raises Safety Questions

Tough Mudder is an endurance race that has swept the nation. However, a participant’s recent death during the race is raising a question: is Tough Mudder too tough? Although this is the first death since the race started three years ago, it is unlikely to be the last.

Avishek Sengupta died on one of the toughest obstacles during the race called “Walk the Plank,” which entails jumping from a fifteen-foot platform and plummeting into freezing muddy water. Tough Mudder’s website even describes the obstacle as featuring “Marines at the top of the platform will chew you out, or worse, push you into the freezing depths below.”

Other participants of the race claim the obstacle was “chaotic.” No guidance was provided to tell contestants how to safely jump into the water without hitting another participant, which has happened at another Tough Mudder event.

After Sengupta didn’t resurface after jumping into the water, people began urging the rescue diver to save him. Witnesses claimed the rescue diver did not display urgency and “even cleaned his flippers before he put them on.”

Sengupta’s death has been ruled an accidental drowning and the case is closed. A waiver was signed by Sengupta, acknowledging that he was aware of the risks, including death. No lawsuits have been filed.

What Does Wichita Think

Would you consider participating in a Tough Mudder race, knowing the potential dangers? Should Tough Mudder make better safety efforts to protect contestants? Let us know what you think in the comment box below!


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