Wisconsin authorities are investigating the death of a LaGrange, Ill. man who drowned during a triathlon race early Saturday.

Friends say 42-year-old Doug Witmer, who worked for Clif Bar, an energy bar company, was an active athlete who enjoyed competitive cycling and was well-equipped for the triathlon, according to the Chicago Tribune. Family friend Kasey Madden told the newspaper Witmer "had a real love of life.

Witmer drowned at about 7:49 a.m Saturday in Lake Winnebago at High Cliff State Park, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Volunteer lifeguards were on site at the High Cliff Triathlon, according to a news release.

Witmer is survived by his wife and two children: a 6-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter, CBS Chicago reports. An education fund will be set up for the family, according to the Tribune.

"He was really a terrific and funny and incredibly intelligent and devoted family member," Madden told the Chicago Sun-Times.