MONTREAL - The death of a participant in a Montreal marathon event on Sunday is raising questions about whether it took too long to get him help.
Quebec's coroner's office confirms that 24-year-old half-marathon participant Patrick Neely died during the International Oasis Rock 'N' Roll Montreal Marathon.
The paramedic agency serving the Montreal area says it responded rapidly to a call for a man in cardio-respiratory arrest a few kilometres from the half-marathon finish line.
Urgences Sante spokesperson Veronique Tremblay says the call came in at 9:55 a.m., and paramedics were treating Neely seven minutes later.
A spokeswoman for the provincial coroner says the office will investigate the circumstances surrounding the death, while police say they won't comment on a what was a medical event.
The marathon had been plagued with logistical problems at the start, with race organizers apologizing for nearly an hour delay.
"The safety of the course was not assured at the scheduled time of departure," organizers said in a Facebook post. "The organization redeployed teams on the courses to ensure safety throughout the course."
