Has anyone else been following this story? So sad. Once in a while a story about a tragedy like this really gets to me and this is one of those times. I guess it is because I read her book and really admired how she described his support of her. Plus, they seemed to live such an unbelievably charmed life that if such a freak accident could happen to them it seems like danger (and mortality) is lurking around the corner for all of us.
I was also moved by the tribute to him that she wrote.
Anyway, my heart goes out to their family. Just wondering if others had thoughts.
I have been following the story, too. It is very heartbreaking. When I heard that he was found unresponsive in the gym, my first thoughts were about heart attacks and strokes. Apparently, it was a freak, horrific accident.
Cause of death was withheld for several days; was I the only one fearing suicide? @BunsenBurner not so freakish apparently - one of the articles I read stated that around 500,000 people are injured on treadmills annually including quite seriously. The problem may be growing as people check their email and text while on them.
Yes! It is terribly sad. Such a tragic loss. I was at the gym a few weeks ago and the person next to me was doing sprints on the treadmill. He cranked up the speed very high and then jumped on. He did this several times. It was extremely dangerous and was very easy to misstep and go flying. I was surprised the gym allowed it but they probably didn’t see him doing it.
All modern treadmills have a safety emergency stop pull. Clip it to the bottom of your shirt so if you fall or stumble and get too far back it stops the belt. Of course, like a bike helmet, they are “uncool” but keep you from more serious physical damage if something happens. I’ve seen a few nasty treadmill accidents at the club (along with a lot of flying phones that are dropped on the belt) and they are never pretty. This is horrible and tragic but not quite lightening striking or somehow mysterious.
NY times article said that though it’s true t here are a lot of treadmill injuries, the vast majority are over-use types–pulled tendons, etc–not falls. Still, it’s very sad.
I’m not clear on if it’s known that he did not have a medical event that caused the fall–like passing out for some reason. I understand he died from the head trauma, but could there have been a medical cause for the fall? (which would make it more likely to be fatal in that if he were unconscious, he could protect or brace himself.)
I just read that the Sandburg/Goldburg family was not staying at Four Seasons Punta Mita as originally reported. They were at the Palmasola, a “private residence in the Punta Mita resort area.”
Safety pulls on treadmills do pretty much one thing if the belt is cranked up fast enough: they stop the belt, they don’t prevent wipe outs. If the user wipes out sideways, on the butt, or face forward, which most of us would, it would prevent the rough surface of the belt from sanding the skin off the person (I am not kidding). If the person wipes out backwards and hits the head, the pull would not do much.
I have used treadmills at fancy resorts in Mexico (not at that Four Seasons, but fancy enough). Those gyms are not well maintained! People don’t go there to run on treadmills or sweat at the gym. One treadmill was so ratty I had to run grabbing onto the safety bars (running outside was NOT an option).
Not where I stayed, to my surprise. A couple of times I traded my “good” treadmill with an older British lady who was training for some sort of a multi mile walk back home. There were some Eastern European men pumping big kettlebells, too…
Post #14, I was not clear. When I first read the news it stated they stayed at the Four Seasons, but I kept reading the Four seasons denied they were there. So it’s clearer now that they didn’t, they stayed at a private villa because it doesn’t matter how nice the Four season is, it’s not what most family, who can afford it would stay. They certainly fall in this category.
