LAKE PLACID — An Ironman Lake Placid competitor was arrested mid-race after the Lake Placid Police Department received a complaint that a 9-year-old boy had allegedly been left unattended.

Village police charged Harley F. Tong, 44, of Kenmore, with one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, at 5:26 p.m. Sunday. Subsequent investigation determined that his child had allegedly been left unattended for about 10 hours since the race had started.

LPPD Assistant Chief Frank Strack said the child was not in distress, but he had been left alone in the race’s VIP tent area. Their investigation determined that Tong had purchased a VIP pass for the boy. After noticing the child there by himself for an extended duration, Ironman staff and volunteers began asking questions and looking after him, according to Strack.

That’s when they allegedly discovered that nobody else was looking after him.

“All of our information pretty much leads us to believe that it was just father and son (in town), and there were no (other) family or friends,” Strack said. “There was nobody known with them, though.”

A complaint was made to the LPPD, and Ironman Lake Placid staff assisted the department in locating the individual.

“Ironman helped us locate him,” Strack said. “Either during a transition area or some point when he was supposed to get goods or transition … they pulled his stuff so that he would have to contact them to try to find out where his stuff was.”

Once Tong was found, he was brought to the police department, where he was processed on the above charge. He was released on his own recognizance to appear in Lake Placid Village Court at a later date, according to police.

“With Ironman, the VIP tent and the volunteers aren’t expected to be babysitters for children,” Strack said. “People should make arrangements for child care. Obviously, child care is more important than competing in the Ironman race and people should definitely be aware that the safety of a child is a lot more important.”