Smyrna Triathlete's Funeral Thursday

Chris Petty, 43, of Smyrna died Saturday competing in the Jekyll Island Turtle Crawl Triathlon.

Christopher D. Petty, 43, of Smyrna, GA, passed away Saturday, May 19 while competing in a triathlon on Jekyll Island. Chris was born December 1, 1968 in Marietta, GA, the son of Harold and Yevonne Petty. He graduated from McEachern High School and Oglethorpe University. He obtained his CPA designation and later earned his Master's degree from Georgia State University. Chris married Lisa Montbellier, the love of his life, on February 8, 2009, celebrating in a magical way with family and friends at Walt Disney World. While Chris' initial work experience was with Price Waterhouse, he was currently employed by the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta as Manager of Global Programs. Chris loved to travel internationally – he enjoyed trips to Europe and…

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UPDATE: Smyrna Triathlete's Cause of Death Still Unconfirmed

Chris Petty, 44, of Smyrna, died Saturday after rescuers pulled him from the water during the Jekyll Island Turtle Crawl Triathlon.

UPDATE: Smyrna Man Died Competing in Jekyll Island Triathlon

Chris Petty, 44, of Smyrna apparently suffered cardiac arrest while competing in the event.

UPDATE: Although seas were choppy the day of the Jekyll Island Turtle Crawl Triathlon, event organizers believe Chris Petty, 44, of Smyrna died from cardiac arrest, not drowning. “The water conditions were, I would say, I wasn’t on site, but from hearing from the event organizer, they were probably rougher than what we were hoping for,” said Eric Garvey, Jekyll Island’s media and public relations representative. “But for an open water swim you do deal with the choppiness of the ocean.” Garvey said lifeguards who provided medical assistance after rescuing Petty said his symptoms indicated a heart attack. The Glynn County Coroner performed an autopsy on Petty Monday, but the results were not available at this posting. Garvey said Petty …

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