A 46-year-old man from Texas died while competing in the 33rd Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, according to race organizers.

The man, whose name has not been released, is from Austin and is believed to have suffered a heart attack during the swim portion of the event, race organizers said in a released statement.

“We have reason to believe the gentleman suffered from a massive cardiac event as he entered the water and began the swim,” triathlon race director Bill Burke said in the statement. “Safety is always our top priority in a race like this. Water safety noticed him immediately and initiated CPR while he was in the water and as they transferred him to land.”

This is the first death to take place in the event’s history.

An estimated 2,000 racers started at 7:30 a.m. swimming 1.5 miles from Alcatraz to the Marina Green Beach, then biking 18 miles through the Presidio and Golden Gate Park, before running 8 miles around Baker Beach back toward the Marina Green.

akoskey@sfexaminer.com