Kalispell man dies after Florida triathlon

The Daily Inter Lake

A Kalispell man died Tuesday in a Florida hospital as a result of injuries sustained while competing in an Ironman triathlon.

Two spotters found Barney Rice, 35, face-down in the water during the swimming portion of the Ford Ironman Florida Triathlon. He was on the second leg of the 2.4-mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The water was rough and there was a strong current," Rice's father, Pete, said. "I don't know if either element is the cause of what got Barney in trouble."

The spotters turned Rice upright and a rescue team administered CPR. Rice had no pulse and wasn't breathing when he was taken to the medical tent on shore. Crews resuscitated him by the time he was taken by ambulance to the Bay Medical Center in Panama City, but he was still unconscious.

Rice underwent three cranial operations but never regained consciousness. He died Tuesday morning.

The race, which includes a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run in addition to the swim, was Rice's first Ironman competition. He was an amateur triathlete and competed in a Half Ironman triathlon last year.

Rice co-owned North Country Auto & Marine with his stepbrother, Jason Eliason. He worked at the store for about five years before he and Eliason took over when Rice's father retired three years ago.

Before moving to Kalispell, Rice graduated from the University of San Francisco and worked at family businesses in Billings and Great Falls. He is survived by his wife, Michelle; stepson, Hunter, age 9; and sons Asher, 2, and Atlas, 6 months.