Looking for something fun and exciting to post on your Facebook Page? Something that says to your friends, “I’m adventurous, in great shape, and living life to the fullest!” Well, some would have you believe that pretending to be an elite military professional on an Obstacle Race Course on a Saturday afternoon is just the way to spice up your fitness routine.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Avishek Sengupta, a 28 year old from Maryland, who died while trying to attempt the “Walk the Plank Obstacle” at a Tough Mudder event in Gerrardstown, West Virginia.
Reports are surfacing that the event was understaffed, unorganized, and had inadequate safety measures in place.
Other people were alos seriously injured during the event. As reported on The Baltimore Sun’s webpage, “Two people who participated in the race in nearby Gerrardstown, W.Va., suffered heart attacks, according to Teresa McCabe of West Virginia University Hospitals-East, which runs City Hospital. Ten people had hypothermia, orthopedic injuries or head injuries. And two people were treated for drowning, including Avishek Sengupta, a 28-year-old Ellicott City man who died Sunday.”
For more information on safety precautions for Obstacle Course Races, visit http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130424-tough-mudder-death-extreme-endurance-sports-risk-safety/
For recommendations on how to establish rescue protocol visit http://mariovittone.com/
We will be posting more information about the validity of the waivers and that runners are required to sign before entering an event.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an Obstacle Course Race like the Tough Mudder, O-Run, Spartan, or Gladiators call Paul Thomson of The Thomson Law Firm at (540) 777-4900 for a free consultation.
