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We learned the cause of death for the contestant ‘Wipeout’ who crashed shortly after completing the obstacle course, and it highlights the hidden dangers of extreme sports racing.
The participant, 38-year-old Michael Paredes, died of a heart attack caused by coronary artery disease … according to the Los Angeles County Coroner.
According to the autopsy report, obtained by TMZ, Paredes was walking on an obstacle course built over a body of water when he fell into the depths. He swam to the edge of the water but could not pull it out, and when he was finally pulled out, he was placed in a wheelchair.
Paredes leaned from side to side in the wheelchair and went into cardiopulmonary arrest. He was resuscitated before being rushed to a hospital, the report said.
The participant is dead about 24 hours after he was admitted to the hospital. The autopsy reveals extensive blockage in his coronary arteries. The right coronary artery has up to 90% stenosis – narrowing or restriction – and the other coronary arteries also had problems. An acute case of pneumonia is also mentioned as a secondary factor.
When we broke the story in November, production sources told us that participants in ‘Wipeout’ underwent medical examinations before participating.
It’s pretty scary to think … the man may have been walking around without knowing he had severe coronary artery disease … something doctors say is all too common.