WASHINGTON — A Maryland man is recovering after his body failed him during his first ever triathlon.

Doug Wetzel, 32, had almost finished the event, when he veered off course and sought help, said his friend Craig Nickel, according to CBS Baltimore.

“He was a mile and a half from the end, he was running the last leg of the triathlon, and he realized he was in trouble,” Nickel said.

Wetzel was diagnosed with severe dehydration and heat stroke. His body temperature was 107 degrees when he collapsed, according to the CBS report.

From there, the report said, Wetzel was flown to Shock Trauma in Baltimore and received a liver transplant. He’ll need kidney dialysis, though he might fully recover.

Friends and family have set up a GoFundMe to help pay for Wetzel’s medical bills.

Watch the CBS coverage here: