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Runner, 65, dies in Bolder Boulder

Pat Rooney, Special to the Rocky

Published May 29, 2007 at midnight

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A Littleton man died Monday while running in the Bolder Boulder, marking the first death in the race's 29-year history.

Ross "Jack" J. Lowe, 65, collapsed on the course near 19th Street and Balsam Avenue and went into cardiac arrest.

A call for help went out at 9:43 a.m., but despite immediate response and transport to Boulder Community Hospital, he never regained consciousness.

An autopsy is scheduled for today.

Todd Dorfman, an emergency physician at the hospital and the race's medical director, said Lowe had a scar on his chest common among patients who've had heart surgery but did not know his medical history.

"Unfortunately, despite a tremendous response and a very rapid response, the patient did not survive," Dorfman said.

"The minute the patient went down, in fact less than a minute, there were two advance support bike teams on site.

"The bike teams are fully equipped and used (defibrillators) to try and resuscitate the patient. A breathing tube was placed on scene in the patient and multiple medicines were given."

Cliff Bosley, director of the race, said he has been told the medical attention Lowe received could not have come any faster if he had gone into cardiac arrest in a hospital.

"It reinforces to me that we have a very, very solid emergency plan in place," said Bosley, who called the incident "a very tragic situation."

He said that during the event's history, three runners have been resuscitated after going into cardiac arrest.

The race is staffed by several medical teams, Bosley said, including ambulances at the beginning and end of the race.

There also are four aid stations throughout the course, and paramedics patrol on bikes.

"There were numerous paramedics on scene," Dorfman said. "There were at least two anesthesiologists who were running the race from Boulder Community Hospital who stopped to assist.

"The ambulance . . . essentially was sitting at the intersection and could see the event. To be quite frank, in my medical opinion from seeing lots of these unfortunate events, if this patient ever had a chance to survive this event, it would have been (Monday)."

Staff Writer Ivan Moreno contributed to this story.