Investigators are determining what caused a 2016 Olympic athlete to drown in 6 feet of water.
Investigators aren’t sure if 31-year-old Olympic runner David Torrence was swimming late Sunday night or taking a dip Monday morning when he drowned in a Scottsdale condominium pool.
The U.S. record holder and 2015 Pan American Champion was in town training.
Lori Schmidt with the Arizona Drowning Prevention Coalition says he is the 30th adult to drown in the Valley this year, double the amount of children killed in water related incidents.
"All of us have the risk of drowning. The biggest thing that can reduce the risk of drowning, not swimming by ourselves," Schmidt said.
Schmidt says even at the highest level of fitness, there are many factors that can cause an adult to drown.
“It is not uncommon for individuals who have been working out very hard and jump in the pool and experience some kind of cardiac issues," Schmidt said.
The Medical Examiner will ultimately determine whether alcohol, medication, heat exhaustion, or something else caused the elite runner to submerge.
