–One of the two riders who has died on this year’s RAGBRAI ride across Iowa has now been correctly identified by law enforcement officials.
The Jackson County, Minnesota Sheriff’s office released a statement Thursday correctly identifying the rider as 62-year-old Mark R. Spoo from Colorado.
Authorities say Spoo collapsed along the route west of Minnesota Highway 86 on Monday, and was attended to almost immediately by a doctor, a surgeon and a physician’s assistant who were also riders. He was transported to a Spirit Lake hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A second rider collapsed before leaving Estherville Tuesday morning and died after local EMS personnel worked for over an hour to revive him. He has been identified as 63-year-old Thomas McCarthy of Florida.
Over 30 cyclists have died while riding RAGBRAI since it was first held in 1973.
