Cribbs died at 9:36 a.m. during the swimming portion of the triathlon, according to Sgt. Mike Young, of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
He was pulled from the water and received CPR on the beach by Moorefield Twp. medics after experiencing difficulty in the water, Young said. His death was ruled a drowning.
Cribbs, who retired two years ago as safety manager of Fukuvi USA, a plastics company in Huber Heights, started exercising in January at the Huber Heights YMCA.
“This challenge was way over his head,” his wife, Helen Cribbs, said Monday.
Despite not being an avid runner, Charles Cribbs did speak with his family doctor prior to the race, according to the sheriff’s office.
Managed by Alexandria, Ohio-based HFP Racing, the Great Buckeye Challenge has been held at Buck Creek since 2008.
Medical personnel and several deputies were present throughout the race, Young said, and an off-duty doctor also tried to assist in resuscitating Cribbs.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office is awaiting the results of an autopsy, but believes Cribbs might have suffered a heart attack during his swim.
“No, it’s not common, but, yes, it does happen,” said Dr. Ian Thompson, of Springfield Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Institute, who also participated in Sunday’s race.
The overwhelming majority of triathlon deaths happen during the swimming portion, Thompson said, when anxiety can trigger a cardiac event.
The fact that Cribbs had only been running for seven months doesn’t necessarily mean he was unprepared to do a triathlon.
“If you’re fairly religious and have a good program, it can be very safe,” Thompson said. “But, sometimes, these underlying cardiac issues, you can’t diagnose.”
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