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Former Ironman Dean Mercer has died after suffering a cardiac arrest while driving and crashing his car on the Gold Coast this morning.
Mercer, 47, crashed the vehicle into a fence at Mermaid Waters about 7:00am.
Paramedics tried to save him, performing CPR for an hour at the scene.
He was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital but could not be revived.
A statement provided on behalf of Mercer's family confirmed he died from cardiac arrest.
"It is with great sadness and grief that we advise that our beloved Dean — loving husband of Reen and devoted father to their four boys Brayden, 13, Rory, 11, Lachlan, 9, and Joshua, 6, passed away earlier today," it said.
"Dean had been returning home from his regular earlier morning training session with a Masters group at Kurrawa Surf Club, where he is the director of surf sports.
"He was to call in and buy groceries for the family when he suffered a cardiac arrest at the wheel of his car and crashed into a fence on Markeri Street."
His wife Reen Mercer, surrounded by close friends, told the children of the news.
"You can only imagine the grief surrounding the Mercer family at this time," the statement said.
"Dean was an amazing husband and loving father who loved nothing more than sharing his and Reen's love of life and love of the surf.
"Dean Mercer will be remembered as the little bloke with the heart of Phar Lap.
"No surf was too big and no opponent too tall as he tackled the biggest and best in the business.
"He will go down in history as one of Australia's greatest ironmen who represented both NSW and Queensland and wore the green and gold of Australia.
"A champion bloke and a true champion in every sense of the word — taken from us too soon."
Family spokesperson Ian Hanson read the statement to waiting media at Kurrawa Surf Club.
"It's been a very, very tough day for Reen and for the boys, the family, and the extended family of course in this wonderful world of surf life saving that we've grown up in and Dean's been such a part of," he said.
"It's been a tough day for all and but I'm sure he's shining down on us and I'm sure there will be a few more ways to celebrate in the future this guy's amazing life."
Long career as Ironman
Mercer won a string of ironman titles, including two national championships and five New South Wales championships, as well as the World Oceanman series.
He also won an Order of Australia for services to life saving and was inducted into the NSW Surf Life Saving Hall of Fame.
Surf Life Saving Australia said Mercer was an incredible athlete and a valued member of the surf life saving family for over 32 years.
"It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Ironman legend and Kurrawa SLSC member Dean Mercer OAM," President Graham Ford said.
"As an Ironman Dean was an outstanding surf sports athlete and one of the great stars of iron racing in the 1980s.
"Our deepest sympathies are with Dean's wife Reen, his four children and the Mercer family at this sad time."
Surf Life Saving Queensland sports manager Stuart Hogben said the organisation passed on its "utmost condolences" to the Mercer family.
"The kids here that he coaches as well as the senior athletes will be impacted heavily," he said.
"To be taken at such a young age is just absolutely tragic and for Reen and the boys especially, it is going to be absolutely devastating."
Jack Hansen is a coach at the Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club, and first met Mercer after moving to the Sunshine Coast as a 19-year-old.
Mr Hansen wanted be an iron man, and Mercer, then a member of the Mooloolaba club, was the perfect role model.
"He taught me how to live a life around training, and what to do in and out of the water," he said.
Mr Hansen said the entire Sunshine Coast surf life saving community has been rocked by the death.
"For me hearing it this morning from a couple of my best mates down on the Gold Coast, it was almost unbelievable," he said.
"The whole surf life saving community will be there for the family, to back them."
Surf Life Saving Queensland will be working with the family and Kurrawa surf club closely in the coming weeks and would offer counselling services to all of their members.
Former Surf Life Saving Queensland President Ralph Devlin said he was shocked and saddened when he heard the news.
"To think that a fellow so fit and such a livewire person in his life, so immersed in his life in so many aspects is taken from us."
'He just got stronger, better and faster'
Fellow Ironman Wes Berg remembers how he and Mercer trained under Olympic swim coach Ron McKeon in Wollongong.
"We couldn't believe how hard Dean trained, we didn't think it was possible to have to capacity to push yourself that hard and each week and each month and year by year," he said.
"He just got stronger and better and faster and we adapted and learnt a lot from Dean, basically how far we could push ourselves."
Mercer had a long career as an Ironman competing from 1987 to 2010, beginning as a professional at the age of 15.
He competed in his last Coolangatta Gold when he was 40.
Originally from Thirroul in Wollongong, he is part of a famous surf life saving family.
His brother Darren Mercer was also an Ironman champion and niece Jordan Mercer now competes in surf life saving.
Dean Mercer continued his involvement in the sport after retiring.
He was a board member of the Kurrawa Surf Club on the Gold Coast where he was a director of sport and nippers coach.
Topics: people, human-interest, sport, other-sports, road, accidents, disasters-and-accidents, southport-4215, qld, australia, brisbane-4000
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