{"id":257993,"date":"2026-04-20T15:21:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/257993\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T15:21:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:21:09","slug":"glamorous-triathletes-haunting-post-before-drowning-during-texas-ironman-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/257993\/","title":{"rendered":"Glamorous triathlete’s haunting post before drowning during Texas Ironman competition"},"content":{"rendered":"

A glamorous triathlete who drowned during an Ironman competition<\/a> in Texas shared a photo from a swimming pool during a final training session just two days before the tragic race.<\/p>\n

Brazilian influencer Mara Fl\u00e1via, 38, shared the shot of her on the edge of a pool on Thursday \u2014 two days before she vanished during an open-water swim in The Woodlands Saturday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust another day at work,\u201d Fl\u00e1via, 38, wrote in Portuguese <\/a>alongside the pic of her wearing a matching pink swimming costume and cap.<\/p>\n

Triathlete Mara Fl\u00e1via was seen sitting by the side of the pool in a snap shared hours before her death. Instagram \/ @maraflavia<\/p>\n

The influencer, who had more than 60,000 followers online, chose the Robin S track \u201cShow Me Love\u201d for her post with the hashtags \u201ctriathlon,\u201d \u201cswimming\u201d and \u201ctriathlete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fl\u00e1via vanished during an open-water swim in The Woodlands Saturday morning \u2013 the first of three grueling trials that competitors face during the 140-mile race.<\/p>\n

Fire crews were told about a \u201clost swimmer\u201d at around 7:30 a.m., one hour into the pro-female swim, KPRC reported.<\/a><\/p>\n

Rescuers battled challenging visibility conditions before Fl\u00e1via\u2019s body was pulled from the water just after 9:30 a.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Montgomery County Sheriffs 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

Shawn McDonald, a volunteer, recounted the commotion before the swimmer\u2019s body was recovered.<\/p>\n

The athlete boasted 60,000 followers online. Instagram \/ @maraflavia<\/p>\n

Mara Fl\u00e1via seen beaming in a poolside snap. maraflavia\/Instagram<\/p>\n

The dad, who volunteered with his daughter Mila, 12,\u00a0said a group of younger volunteers in a kayak raised a flag and blew their whistles, \u201cyelling for help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard them say she went under,\u201d he wrote on Facebook<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI had Mila hand me the paddle and I started calling out to the athletes around us to stop so I could cross. I made my way over in about 30 seconds. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I got there and asked what happened, they all said the same thing: She went under. Right here. Right below us. The panic and fear on their faces won\u2019t leave me for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The volunteer recalled how one man had a \u201cthousand-yard stare\u201d on his face \u2013 before diving into the water in a desperate bid to find Fl\u00e1via.<\/p>\n

She drowned during a swimming event at The Woodlands. Getty Images for IRONMAN<\/p>\n

\u201cI dove in immediately and began searching. After about a minute underwater, I felt her body with my foot. I surfaced, took what seemed like the deepest breath I have ever taken and went back down. She was gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boats with sonar combed the area \u2013 and McDonald was told to leave the water before the body was recovered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe victim was found in about 10 feet of water on the bottom of the lake,\u201d Buck said. \u201cThe dive team accessed the victim, brought her up about 9:37 and then brought her over to the shore where she was pronounced DOS [deceased on scene],\u201d Palmer Buck, the Woodlands fire chief, said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not known what caused the triathlete to go under the water.<\/p>\n

Journalism grad Fl\u00e1via previously worked in radio and television before pursuing a sporting career at age 28.<\/p>\n

She previously twice won the Brazilian Grand Prix, and finished third in the Brasilia triathlon event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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