Man dies in RAGNAR relay race
The 2015 Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay is a race that starts in Logan and goes all the way to Midway. There is a distance of 191 miles that winds through the Utah back country In Liberty on June 19, 2015.
FILE PHOTO: In this photo from the 2014 RAGNER relay race, a tent is displayed at one of the checkpoints. Photo taken in Ogden Canyon on June 27, 2014. ROBBY LLOYD/ Standard-Examiner Correspondent)
PARADISE – Tyler Rasch, 46, of Park City collapsed at 8:11 a.m. Friday morning while running the RAGNAR relay race.
Joseph Beard, an off-duty paramedic for Murray city, was driving a support vehicle for another team and saw the victim collapse. Beard immediately began life saving measures.
Sheriff’s deputies, Cache County paramedics, and other participants also assisted.
The victim was transported to Logan Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead by medical staff. The victim has been turned over to the State Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death.
Cache County Sheriff’s Lt. Brian Locke said, “There are about 2,500 people participating in the RAGNAR. There are 500 (five-person) teams.”
Locke said this was the first death they they know of from the race.
“A loss like this affects us all at Ragnar and the prayers and thoughts of staff go out to the Rasch family,” Elise Timothy, RAGNAR spokesperson, said. “Out of respect for the family, we are not releasing details surrounding his passing but can confirm it was prompted by a critical health condition.
“First responders acted within minutes and our safety team has remained in touch with the family to aid them in any way we can. We ask that the community join us in respecting the family’s privacy at this hard time and include them in their thoughts and prayers,” Timothy said.
As described on the RAGNAR Relay website, “The race is an overnight running relay race that makes testing your limits a team sport. You and 11 of your craziest friends (or 5 of your crazier friends for an ultra team) pile into two vans and tag team running 200(ish) miles, day and night, relay-style. Only one runner hits the road at a time. Each participant runs three times, with each leg ranging between 3-8 miles and varying in difficulty.”