What to Know
- A swimmer competing in the CrossFit Games in Fort Worth on Thursday was reported missing after he was seen having trouble in the water and slipping below the surface.
- The swimmer's body was later recovered by Fort Worth firefighters and identified by the medical examiner as 28-year-old Lazar Dukic.
- CrossFit CEO says the day's events are canceled so they can support the athlete's family and the CrossFit community.
- CEO says security protocols will be evaluated as part of the investigation into the man's death.
The body of a 28-year-old Serbian man was pulled from Fort Worth's Marine Creek Lake Thursday morning after he apparently drowned during the first event of the 2024 CrossFit Games.
The annual event opened for the first time in Fort Worth on Thursday morning and was scheduled to run through Sunday. During the inaugural run-swim event Thursday morning, a swimmer apparently began to have trouble and was seen slipping underwater.
According to the Fort Worth Fire Department, they were called to the lake at about 8 a.m. to help find the missing swimmer. After about an hour of using boats, dive teams, and drones, they said they located the man's body.
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The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man Thursday afternoon as 28-year-old Lazar Dukic, of Serbia. A cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
According to the 2024 CrossFit Games website, the run-swim competition began at 7 a.m. on Thursday at Marine Creek Lake with a 3.5-mile run followed by an 800-meter swim. After the man's death, CrossFit canceled the remainder of Thursday's events.
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SPECTATORS SEE COMPETITOR STRUGGLE, GO UNDER
Cole Learn, an athlete visiting Fort Worth from Toronto, Ontario, said he was in town to support another athlete competing in the event and was watching the swimmers when Dukic went under.
"It was pretty devastating. We were watching the athletes come in from their swim, and for some reason, I was watching Lazar. It looked like he was struggling a little bit. Very, very quickly, he kind of did a couple of circles; he was, like, turning around trying to get air, and he was underwater," Learn said. "It happened so fast. There were 10 of us that saw it, we started screaming for the lifeguard. We were so far away, jumping in wouldn't have been an option."
Learn said lifeguards were near Dukic on paddle boats, but to him, it appeared like they were watching the finish line and not the approaching swimmers.
"Deep down, I knew he was still under there. Your mind starts to play tricks on you like, 'Maybe he came up somewhere else? Maybe he was OK?' But deep down, I knew something was wrong," Learn said.
Learn said he'd only met Dukic once but described him as a very nice guy, a great athlete, and someone with whom he'd shared a few jokes.
Learn said Dukic's brother was also competing at the event this weekend.
"I watched his brother run up and down, looking for him, and it's going to be engrained in my memory for the rest of my life. It's horrible," Learn said.
CROSSFIT RELEASES STATEMENT AFTER DEATH IN FORT WORTH
CrossFit CEO Don Faul said at a press conference on Thursday morning he was "gutted" and "saddened" by the death of an athlete at the CrossFit Games in Fort Worth.
"[I'm] gutted," Faul said. "Really sad."
Faul said the rest of the day's events and activities would be canceled so they could focus on supporting the community and family.
"CrossFit is, as you know, in some ways like a family. People care a lot about each other. There's a lot of people in the community that are hurting right now, that are very sad, that knew the athlete well, that loved, respected this person. A lot of people are mourning," Faul said. "We want to do everything we can to support the community, to support the family, our friends, through this challenging time."
Faul said safety personnel were at Marine Creek Lake as part of the day's events and were cooperating with the authorities in their investigation. Faul added that CrossFit would be evaluating its own safety protocols as part of the investigation.
FORT WORTH MAYOR 'PROFOUNDLY SADDENED' BY SWIMMER'S DEATH
In a statement, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said the city took great pride in hosting the event and was "profoundly saddened" by the man's death.
"We are profoundly saddened by the tragic loss of a CrossFit athlete during a CrossFit Games swimming event this morning. Our hearts go out to the athlete's family, friends, and the entire CrossFit community. We take great pride in being the host city for the CrossFit Games and remain committed to working closely with CrossFit to provide a supportive environment for all athletes, spectators, and visitors. As such, we have coordinated mental health and grief counselors to support those in need during this difficult time."
The games will continue through Sunday as planned.
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