At a celebration of Maslenitsa or Pancake week ‘the fastest pancake eater contest’ ended in tragedy in the Kaliningrad Region, when the winner of the competition died as he prepared to accept his award.

Boris Isaev, 46, a resident of the city of Chernyakhovsk, climbed onstage to take the prize, but suddenly fell to his knees choking. Foam came out of his mouth and a few moments after he fell breathless.

Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest massage didn’t work and he stopped breathing. Doctors arrived but were unable to bring the man back to life.

According to witnesses, Boris Isaev was the most active participant in the contest. He ate all the types of pancakes on offer and won the contest fairly.

The cause of death remains unclear. However, doctors believe he choked with on a slice of pancake in his trachea.

The last day of Maslenitsa, a traditional Russian holiday that marks the end of winter and welcomes the spring is the start of the Great Fast for Orthodox Christians.