Second New York triathlon competitor dies

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A 40-year-old woman who suffered cardiac arrest while competing in a triathlon in the Hudson River died on Monday, the second death reported in the weekend event, a hospital spokesman said.

After going into cardiac arrest during the swimming leg of the Nautica New York City Triathlon on Sunday, the woman was taken in critical condition to St. Luke's Hospital in Manhattan. She died on Monday, a hospital spokesman said.

The hospital withheld her name pending notification of family members. Bill Burke, the director of the event, confirmed that she was from Elmhurst, Illinois.

A 64-year-old man from Freehold, New Jersey, died on Sunday after going into cardiac arrest during the swimming portion of the event.

The triathlon is a strenuous annual event in which more than 3,000 contestants swim 1,500 meters in the Hudson River bike 40 kilometers along Manhattan's West Side Highway and then run 10 kilometers through Central Park, according to the event's website.

A fire department spokesman said 11 other contestants received medical attention at the event for less serious problems.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Greg McCune)