OAN Staff James Meyers and Brooke Mallory
4:27 PM – Thursday, August 8, 2024
Tragedy struck the CrossFit games in Texas as one of its competitors died while taking part in the swimming portion of the competition, officials said.
Lazar Đukić, 28, vanished near the end of a live-streamed 800-meter swim at the Crossfit Games in Fort Worth’s Marine Creek Lake at around 8 a.m. on Thursday, according to Barbell Sports.
Acquaintances and friends of Đukić have theorized that he may have had a heart attack or brain aneurysm, as he was known to be a strong swimmer. Nevertheless, the exact cause of death has not been listed on the medical examiner’s website.
Nearly an hour later, first responders were seen pulling a body out of the lake. Seven firefighter units responded to the possible drowning call at the lake shore, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
However, reports have conflicted in regards to how long it took first responders to arrive, some outlets have said an hour, whereas other outlets have claimed it took around 10 minutes.
In the afternoon, the CrossFit Games finally put out a statement and confirmed that an athlete did in fact pass away while taking part in the competition.
“CrossFit is deeply saddened by the death of a CrossFit Games competitor during the swimming portion of Individual Event 1 at the 2024 CrossFit Games,” the statement read. “We are fully cooperating with authorities and doing everything we can to support the family at this time.”
Soon after, Barbell Sports suspended the rest of the day’s events after the tragedy gained media attention.
Đukić, a 28-year-old from Serbia, had spent multiple years competing in the CrossFit Games. He was ranked third best CrossFit athlete in his home country.
The athlete had also teased his appearance at the games on his Instagram page in the days leading up to the big event. It was clear that he was full of excitement and ready to take on the challenge.
However, tragedy struck when Đukić suddenly vanished during the swimming portion of the individual run swim, which started with a 3.5-mile run and was capped off by the 800-meter swim.
Around 10,000 people from across the globe compete in the CrossFit event. It will come to a close on Sunday.
“Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said the city has coordinated mental health and grief counselors to support those who might need it,” according to CBS News.
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