The autopsy also found that Araujo had a slightly enlarged heart and a minor heart artery abnormality. Neither would typically cause serious problems, though the medical examiner noted they could potentially become more significant during intense exercise.
The autopsy found no structural heart condition or other natural cause of death, and investigators could not determine whether the minor cardiac abnormalities contributed to her drowning.
“It should be noted that drowning may occur in trained athletes during swim competitions in the absence of any underlying contributing medical factors; therefore, it is unknown whether the presence of the minor cardiac abnormalities identified in the decedent or any other medical factors affected the decedent’s endurance and contributed to her drowning,” the report reads.
Toxicology testing also detected multiple medications at non-toxic levels. Genetic testing found a variant of uncertain significance associated with heart conditions, though the autopsy found no evidence of those conditions.
Araujo, an experienced triathlete, began the event’s swim portion in Lake Woodlands around 6:44 a.m., according to the report. Staff members saw her become submerged at approximately 7:35 a.m. and attempted to locate her to no avail. A boat equipped with sonar recovered her body at about 9:44 a.m., and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 38-year-old was a Brazilian fitness influencer with more than 61,000 followers on Instagram. After her death, fans and her partner publicly paid tribute, remembering her as a passionate, strong role model and athlete.
A volunteer at the event also recounted his efforts to rescue Araujo after she went under and offered condolences to her family.
“She had gone into that water chasing something most people only dream of finishing. She trained for it. She showed up for it. She deserved to come out of it,” Shawn McDonald wrote on Facebook. “To her family: we did everything we could. I am so deeply, genuinely sorry that it wasn’t enough. She will stay with me.”