WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — A 46-year-old Iowa man died Sunday after being pulled from the water during the swimming leg in the Hy-Vee Triathlon, which was doubling as one part of the U.S. Olympic trials.

Jim Goodman signaled for help when he was about 150 meters from the shore of Blue Heron Lake, said Chris Friesleben, a spokeswoman for the sponsoring Hy-Vee grocery store chain.

She said rescuers in a nearby boat immediately jumped into the water, pulled Goodman out and began resuscitation efforts. Goodman was taken to shore, then taken by helicopter to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, where he died.

The cause of death wasn't immediately known.

Friesleben said Goodman's two daughters competed in the kids' event on Saturday. This was the second triathlon for Goodman, who also competed in the Hy-Vee Triathlon last year.

"We got an e-mail from him in May asking a question," Friesleben said. "He was so psyched and so pumped. He had a great time last year and said he couldn't wait until the race this year."

The triathlon began with a 1,500-meter swim in a lake, followed by a 40-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run. The event was being used to select the final men's and women's members of the U.S. Olympic triathlon team for the Beijing Games. Two men and two women were chosen earlier.