Add The New York Post on Google A NYC triathlete died when he was found unconscious during the swimming portion of a race in the Hamptons — less than two weeks after a married father of two died in a suspected drowning in nearby Shelter Island.
Lin Chung, a 34-year-old Queens resident, was pulled from the waters of Noyack Bay while he was competing in the 1.5 km swim leg of the Mighty Hamptons Steve Tarpinian Memorial Triathlon Sunday in Sag Harbor, police and event officials said.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of a male athlete who suffered a medical emergency during the swim portion of yesterday’s Mighty Hamptons Triathlon,” Long Island triathlon organizer EventPower said.
“Our sport of triathlon lost a member of our beloved community. We extend our deepest condolences to the athlete’s family and friends and we offer them our support as they go through this unimaginable time.
Lin Chung was rescued in the Noyack Bay as he competed in the triathlons 1.5 km swim off of Long Beach in Sag Harbor, NY. Google Earth Lifeguards witnessed Chung in distress and raced in to rescue the man, the Southampton Press reported.
A group of other swimmers used a paddleboard to get Chung out of the water as a lifeguard performed life-saving measures.
“We got him up on the paddleboard and then we — it was me and several women, I think the wave right before me must have been mostly women, we were kicking as hard as we could to try go keep him on the paddleboard,” fellow triathlete Bill Hughes told the outlet.
“The lifeguard was doing CPR, chest compressions and turning him on his side and we were all working really hard to keep him from falling off the wet board. All credit to that lifeguard, I don’t know who the man was but it was a heroic effort by him.”
Additional lifeguards and police officers provided aid to Chung when he got out of the water, including using an automated external defibrillator (AED) machine.
Lin Chung was competing in the Mighty Hamptons Steve Tarpinian Memorial Triathlon on Sept. 13, 2026. EventPower Chung was rushed to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s office is investigating Chung’s death, the outlet reported.
A cause of death was not revealed, but officials believe Chung suffered a medical emergency during the race.
Water conditions weren’t immediately ruled a factor, but officials have previously said even the best swimmers could become victims of drowning.
“These are open waters where tides, currents and boat traffic are always considerations,” Shelter Island Police Chief Jim Read said after former Team USA triathlete Spencer Korwin was found dead in the Shelter Island Sound on Sept. 2.
The married father of 2 was on a family vacation when he disappeared after going for a morning swim near the upscale Pridwin Hotel.
A full-scale search was launched for the 38-year-old Manhattanite, who was found underneath the dock he launched from hours earlier.
