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Honolulu - Former three-time world surfing champion Andy Irons has died at the age of 32, his father Phil said on Tuesday.
VIDEO: Tribute to Andy Irons
The cause of death was not immediately known, but he withdrew from a surfing competition in Puerto Rico last weekend because of illness.
Irons was found dead in a hotel room in Dallas, Texas, where he was on a layover en route to his home on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Employees at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, found the body and called airport police.
Local public safety officials said the man had checked in on Monday and had died of unknown causes, and an autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.
A statement from Irons's family in Hawaii, posted on the website of the Association of Surfing Professionals, said Irons "had reportedly been battling with Dengue Fever," although it remained unclear if Irons actually had that illness.
In their statement, the Irons family thanked the surfer's friends and fans and requested privacy "so their focus can remain on one another during this time of profound loss."
Irons is survived by his wife, Lyndie Dupuis, who is expecting their first child, a boy, in December.
The Star Advertiser reported that methadone was found inside a container of a prescription drug called zolpidem, commonly used for insomnia, while methadone is a powerful controlled substance used for pain. The container, as well as numerous other medications, was found on a nightstand, the medical examiner said.
Shattered world tour colleagues planned to honour the popular Irons - the 2002, 2003 and 2004 world champion - with a paddle out on Wednesday morning at the Rip Curl Search event site at Middles Beach, Puerto Rico.
VIDEO: Tribute to Andy Irons
The cause of death was not immediately known, but he withdrew from a surfing competition in Puerto Rico last weekend because of illness.
Irons was found dead in a hotel room in Dallas, Texas, where he was on a layover en route to his home on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Employees at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, found the body and called airport police.
Local public safety officials said the man had checked in on Monday and had died of unknown causes, and an autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.
A statement from Irons's family in Hawaii, posted on the website of the Association of Surfing Professionals, said Irons "had reportedly been battling with Dengue Fever," although it remained unclear if Irons actually had that illness.
In their statement, the Irons family thanked the surfer's friends and fans and requested privacy "so their focus can remain on one another during this time of profound loss."
Irons is survived by his wife, Lyndie Dupuis, who is expecting their first child, a boy, in December.
The Star Advertiser reported that methadone was found inside a container of a prescription drug called zolpidem, commonly used for insomnia, while methadone is a powerful controlled substance used for pain. The container, as well as numerous other medications, was found on a nightstand, the medical examiner said.
Shattered world tour colleagues planned to honour the popular Irons - the 2002, 2003 and 2004 world champion - with a paddle out on Wednesday morning at the Rip Curl Search event site at Middles Beach, Puerto Rico.
