2 cyclists have died during 2025’s RAGBRAI

by Dean Welte

IOWA (KTIV) - Two people have died while participating in the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.

One death took place on Monday, July 21, after a rider collapsed in Southern Minnesota, while the other was on Tuesday, July 22, in the Northwest Iowa community of Estherville.

The Estherville Police Department says at about 7:40 a.m. Tuesday, they got a call about a rider who was semi-conscious and vomiting.

Officers were sent to South 8th Street and 1st Avenue South in central Estherville, and when they got there, they couldn’t detect the rider’s pulse. Police say CPR was administered and an automated external defibrillator (AED) was used to try and revive the man.

An ambulance eventually made it to the scene and took the rider to Avera Holy Family Hospital in Estherville, where they provided further treatment. The man, who police identified as 63-year-old Thomas McCarthy of Florida, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

“The Estherville Police Department was assisted by several citizens, the Estherville Ambulance Service, and the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office,” stated the police department in a press release.

The RAGBRAI rider who died on Monday was in Jackson County, Minnesota. This was the first year the route had a section in Minnesota.

The local sheriff’s office says they received a 911 call around 8:15 a.m. Monday, reporting a rider had collapsed on the route.

“Within seconds, the victim was tended to by a doctor, a surgeon, and a physician’s assistant, all of whom were also RAGBRAI participants,” stated the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in a press release.

The man was transported by ambulance to Spirit Lake Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A member of the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office told KTIV the rider was identified as 62-year-old Mark Spoo of Colorado.

“Despite receiving prompt medical attention on the scene, it is with great sadness that we confirm the passing of two RAGBRAI riders earlier this week,” said RAGBRAI Director Anne Lawrie. ”Our sincere thoughts and deepest condolences to their loved ones.”

In a previous version of this story, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office gave a different name for the rider who collapsed in Southern Minnesota. After getting updated information from officials, the name has been corrected.

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