Lazar Dukic, a Serbian competitor in CrossFit, passes away while swimming in a lake in Texas.
Lazar Dukic vanished under the water on Thursday morning while participating at Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth, Texas.
At approximately eight in the morning local time, reports of “a participant in the water that was down and hadn’t been seen in some point in time” prompted the call to emergency personnel.
An hour or so after the first divers entered the water, the athlete’s body was discovered following the start of a search using drones and a dive crew.
Following the tragedy, the remaining activities for the first day of the games were canceled.
Don Faul, the CEO of CrossFit, stated during a press conference that the company was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and that they were collaborating with the police on the ensuing inquiry.
Additionally, Mr. Faul affirmed that safety personnel from CrossFit were there during the swim.
The cause of Dukic’s death has not yet been disclosed by the medical examiner’s office.
According to Dukic’s biography on the CrossFit website, he was ranked 88th globally and as the third-ranked CrossFit athlete in Serbia.
CrossFit is a fitness program that involves high-intensity competition in a range of movements.
A request for comment has been sent to CrossFit.
Man passes away during a Texas CrossFit swimming competition
According to the organizers, a competitor passed away during a swimming competition at the CrossFit Games in Texas.
Lazar Dukic, 28, of Serbia, was participating in a competition on Marine Creek Lake close to Fort Worth on Thursday morning when he vanished beneath the surface and did not come out, according to Fort Worth emergency services officials.
At approximately 8:00 local time (14:00 BST), emergency services were contacted, and an hour later, a body was found.
The games released a statement that said, “We are grieved by Lazar Dukic’s loss.
A separate statement stated that the organizers are “fully cooperating with authorities” and that the remainder of Thursday’s events have been suspended.
Drones and a dive team from the Fort Worth Police Department were used in the search for Mr. Dukic’s remains, according to a story by CBS News, a US partner of the BBC, which quoted local officials.
Mr. Dukic was a “loved and respected” part of the fitness community, according to CrossFit CEO Don Faul.
“There’s a lot of people in the community who are hurting right now,” he stated.
Many folks are in grief. We wish to do all effort to uphold the family and the community.”
Additionally, he added that safety personnel had been present on site the entire time and that a “fully documented safety plan” had been put in place.
With an aim of $200,000 (£157,000), a crowdfunder to support Mr. Dukic’s family has already raised more than $211,000.
According to the page, Mr. Dukic played water polo for years in his home Serbia before making his CrossFit Games debut in 2021.
“Known for his kindness, humor, and supportive nature, Lazar brought a breath of fresh air wherever he went,” added the statement.
According to a CrossFit Games bio on their website, Mr. Dukic is ranked third in Serbia this year and was Serbia’s top CrossFit athlete from 2017 to 2021.
Every year, athletes compete in a variety of events spanning multiple disciplines at the CrossFit Games. Frequently, they are only informed about the specifics of each stage in the run-up to the competition.
The installment for this year was supposed to end on Sunday, but it started on Thursday.
On the opening day of the CrossFit Games competition in Texas, an athlete drowns
An competitor drowned during a CrossFit Games 2024 competition in Texas, and he passed away.
Lazar Ñukić, 28, vanished during the Thursday morning competition that was being webcast live, according to The Barbell Spin, a CrossFit news outlet located at the games’ location.
During a press conference, CrossFit CEO Don Faul confirmed the athlete’s death. Texas officials have not yet released the athlete’s name.
The loss of one of our athletes during this morning’s swim segment of our event has left CrossFit extremely devastated. During this terrible moment, we’re doing everything we can to support the family and our community, Faul added.
