ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – According to numbers released Monday by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, nearly 60 EMS calls were made during the weekend’s IRONMAN Jacksonville event in Duval and St. Johns counties.
JFRD said of the 58 EMS responses, a total of 18 ended with a patient being taken to a local hospital.
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Specifically, during the cycling portion of the event, 23 calls for service ended with seven cyclists being taken to a local hospital with ailments ranging from exhaustion to falls.
Athletes biked through areas like Nocatee and Ponte Vedra Beach.
None of the transports were considered life-threatening, JFRD said.
Among the calls on Saturday, St. Johns County Fire and Rescue confirmed that a car hit a bicyclist.
St. Johns County Commissioner Krista Joseph said that she appreciated the athletes and families who participated, but had major concerns after Saturday’s event.
Joseph went to Facebook and posted this feedback:
“The BCC (Board of County Commissioners) did not vote on this Jacksonville event. I can tell you all right now, after sitting in traffic for 3 hours and watching the close calls of car vs golf cart vs bikers that approval for something National like this needs to come to the BCC. Not only did I just get off the phone with the County Administrator and she was unaware of this event but also conveyed my concerns to the Sheriff.”
SJCFR said that all its transports from Saturday’s event ranged from shoulder injuries to minor head injuries. Others were from bicycles vs. bicycles or riders hitting other objects. More calls were related to dehydration, general weakness and more.