An intrepid triathlete who served as an inspiration to her thousands of dedicated followers tragically drowned during the swimming endurance portion of the famed Ironman competition in Texas on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Mara Fl\u00e1via, a 38-year-old Brazilian influencer with more than 60,000 followers on Instagram<\/a>, vanished during an open-water swim in Lake Woodlands, the first of three grueling trials competitors face during the 140-mile race.<\/p>\n Mara Fl\u00e1via drowned while competing in the Texas Ironman on Saturday. maraflavia\/Instagram<\/p>\n Frantic calls started pouring in to the Montgomery County Sheriff\u2019s Office and the Woodlands Township Fire Department as early as 6 a.m., Fox 26<\/a> reported. Woodlands Fire Chief\u00a0Palmer Buck told Click2Houston<\/a> that crews were first notified about the \u201clost swimmer\u201d around 7:30 a.m.<\/p>\n The pro female swim started at 6:31 a.m., according to the Texas Ironman schedule<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rescuers sifted through the lake while the triathlon was still ongoing, which Buck said contributed to the challenging conditions and worsened the dive team\u2019s \u201czero\u201d visibility. <\/p>\n Fl\u00e1via was eventually pulled out of the water just after 9:30 a.m., roughly three hours after she disappeared. By then, her body had sunk down 10 feet to the bottom of the lake, Buck said.<\/p>\n She was pronounced dead on the shore.<\/p>\n The sheriff\u2019s office confirmed that the victim \u201cdrowned while participating in the swim portion of the event,\u201d according to a statement<\/a>. The office said its Major Crimes unit will continue the investigation \u201cper normal protocols.\u201d<\/p>\n Fl\u00e1via vanished underneath the water near the beginning of the triathlon. fox26houston<\/p>\n Fl\u00e1via\u2019s body was recovered roughly three hours after she was reported missing. fox26houston<\/p>\n