Unfortunately this tragic story slipped through the cracks a few weeks ago. While powerhouse competitive eater Joey Chestnut was winning his eighth consecutive hot dog eating victory at Coney Island's famed Nathan's Famous Hot Hog Contest, a South Dakota man named Walter Eagle Tail died at a local competition over 1,300 miles away. His death as a result of suffocation came as a shock to friends and family. Eagle Tail was killed during Independence Day festivities.
Walter Eagle Tail, it is believed, choked on a hot dog and his airway was blocked (via ABC News):
"There was someone doing CPR when we arrived. He probably just suffocated. It got lodged in his throat and they (paramedics) couldn't get it out."
Even though precautions were taken, no one could prevent the accident from happening. Walter, 47, was unfortunately a victim of a freak occurrence. Said an event organizer:
"'We always make sure it's in a controlled environment,' Shea said. 'We organize the entire thing around safety. (Just as) if it's football or hockey or auto racing, we approach it as a top priority.'"
Friends say Walter was just doing it for fun, which was fitting for his personality (via Christian Post):
"'Walter was just being Walter, having fun when he entered this contest,' Ardis McRae told the Associated Press. 'He was just having a good time.'"
For all the people who think competitive eating is silly or a joke, it requires a high level of skill, intense training and strategy. These endeavors can be dangerous if not approached with caution.
That is not to say that people shouldn't try it. Just be careful and try to prepare before an event. Joey Chestnut, for example, started training months before the Nathan's contest because each specific event requires a unique strategy.
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