UPDATE, JUNE 8, 10:43 P.M.: Reports are surfacing of initial indications from the Andy Irons autopsy report. According to the New York Times, the report found that Irons passed away in the Dallas hotel room from a combination of a heart attack and the drugs in his system.
However, in a press release by the Irons family, they indicate that a second medical expert out of San Antonio, doesn't think that the drugs had a role in Andy's death, believing instead that he died a “natural” death by way of heart attack “due to focal severe coronary atherosclerosis, i.e., 'hardening of the arteries.'”
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ORIGINAL POST, DEC. 27, 12:44 P.M.: Controversy and questions have surrounded the tragic passing of world champion surfer Andy Irons, who was found dead in a Grapevine, Texas hotel room on Nov. 2, 2010.
There was talk of drugs and foul play, or possibly a bad case of dengue fever; speculation has run rampant in the surf and national media. Which is why the release of the autopsy report is so valuable: it could clear or tarnish the 32-year-old surf star's reputation and legacy.
Lyndie Irons, Andy's widow and the mother of their one-month old son, has asked a Texas court to delay releasing the coroner's findings to avoid the resulting media storm which she feels may affect his “brand.”
The basis of her request is that the reports are being released prematurely, considering there have been additional questions raised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the federal complaint she filed, Irons indicated that she and her son are entirely dependent on the continued well-being of the Andy Irons name and brand. She would like a six-month extension on the autopsy release to allow the media storm to blow over, reports Courthouse News Service.
Irons had been competing in an Assocation of Surfing Professional World Tour event in Puerto Rico when he fell ill and pulled out of the contest. He was en route to his home on Kauai, but was deemed unfit to fly during a layover in Dallas. He was found the following morning by the housekeeping staff at the hotel he was staying.
On November 14, hundreds gathered at the Huntington Beach Pier for a paddle-out to honor the memory of Andy Irons.
