FORT WORTH, Texas — A CrossFit Games athlete died after a reported drowning in a Fort Worth lake on Thursday during the first day of competition in the multi-day event, officials said.
CrossFit officials in a news conference confirmed that a CrossFit athlete drowned in the swim portion of the CrossFit Game's first event. The event was held at Marine Creek Lake, near the Tarrant County College Northwest campus.
The victim was identified as Lazar Đukić, 28, of Serbia, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office. Đukić was pronounced dead at 10:24 a.m., the medical examiner records said.
A cause of the death was not initially listed Thursday afternoon.
The rest of the CrossFit Games events were canceled for Thursday. Officials decided to continue the competition Thursday night.
"After careful thought and many conversations internally, with athletes, and with Lazar Đukić’s family, it’s been decided that the CrossFit Games will continue throughout the remainder of the weekend at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas," a statement from CrossFit Games organizers read.
According to the release, a special tribute honoring Lazar Đukić will be held at 10 a.m. Friday prior to the day's events.
“CrossFit is deeply saddened by the death of one of our athletes in the swim portion of our event this morning … We are collaborating, we are working very closely with the authorities with the follow-up investigation,” Faul said.
Cole Learn, a CrossFit athlete from Ontario, Canada witnessed the drowning from the shore of the lake Thursday morning.
"Absolutely devastated, not sure what to think, and almost in denial," Learn said.
Learn said he witnessed the moments the athlete went under the water during the swimming event.
"I saw him sort of start to scramble he started doing small turns and he was trying to get his head out of the water," Learn said. "It was at that time we started screaming to the lifeguard he needed help and in a few seconds he was under, he never came back up.”
The CrossFit Games had a safety plan in place and safety personnel on-site at the event, Faul said. All of the details of how the event and drowning unfolded Thursday will be part of a review with law enforcement, Faul said.
“I think the CrossFit community needs to lean on each other right now," Learn said. "I’m not too sure where the CrossFit games are going to go from here, but they are going to have to make some drastic measurements to make sure this never happens again."
The Fort Worth Fire Department was called to the drowning report around 8 a.m. Video from the scene appeared to show Fort Worth Fire Rescue pulling a body from the water around 10 a.m. and placing it in a bag.
“I know a lot of you have questions about who it was today… that information will not be released until the Tarrant County Medical Examiner has the opportunity to speak with the family and verify the athlete’s name and identity," Leah Wagner, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department, said.
The event where the incident occurred was the site of a run-swim event at the CrossFit Games, according to the event schedule. The run-swim was free for spectators to observe and miles away from the main competition space at Dickies Arena.
“There’s a lot of people in the community that are hurting right now, that are really sad, that knew the athlete well, that loved and respected this person and a lot of people are mourning,” Faul said.
Samantha Brown, who traveled from North Carolina to watch the CrossFit Games said the CrossFit community is close, and a drowning happening at one of their events is shocking.
"It's awful, especially since it's not something that we would ever expect to happen and would imagine happening," Brown said. "We are all athletes here and something like this is heartbreaking."
A GoFundMe has been started to support Đukić's family.
In a statement to WFAA, CEO of CrossFit Don Faul said an investigation has been launched into Đukić'd death.
“The safety of our community is of paramount concern to CrossFit, and we have rigorous protocols in place for each event at the CrossFit Games. We have initiated an investigation, which will include an independent third-party review of yesterday’s tragic event. We will share information as appropriate," Faul said.
Are the CrossFit Games Canceled?
While it's unclear when the CrossFit Games will resume, all events were canceled Thursday.
The events are scheduled for streaming on ESPN+ and several other platforms including Facebook, Twitch and YouTube. All the livestreams abruptly ended Thursday morning. While scheduled livestreams remained on the ESPN+ platform, the 11 a.m. broadcast of events was not airing.
The Sevan Podcast, which covers the CrossFit Games, was livestreaming their reactions and commentary about the competition when they noted that the swimming event had been canceled.
"Which makes me think something bad happened, if they want everyone to leave" one of the podcasters said.
The group then began playing audio from a woman who was explaining the situation.
"It looks like we have a serious issue on our hands," the woman could be heard saying.
The group then received a call from someone who was apparently at the scene and asked them to cut off their livestream.
"Guys we're going to have to end the stream," one of the podcasters said. "It looks like something serious has happened."
The top 40 men and women from seven qualifying competitions worldwide compete in the CrossFit games.
The first CrossFit Games event was held in 2007. This is the first year CrossFit has held its annual games in Texas as opposed to its typical location in Madison, Wisconsin. CrossFit's CEO announced the move in 2023 and touted the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as a key driver of the move.
The competition will include team and individual events and the competition exercises will test athlete's fitness in ten areas: Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. Often the challenges are unknown until the athletes step into the competition, officials say.
CrossFit Games drowning: Reaction
WFAA spoke with a couple of witnesses at the event, including a fellow CrossFit athlete from Canada.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker released the following statement:
"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 difficult time."
Fort Worth Councilmember Carlos Flores released a statement saying in part:
"As the City Council representative of District 2, where Marine Creek Lake is located, I want to express my deepest condolences to Mr. Đukić's family and loved ones. Any loss of life is always tragic and traumatic, and our hearts go out to those affected during this difficult time. Mr. Đukić was a remarkable individual, known for his achievements as a four-time CrossFit Games athlete."
Former CEO of CrossFit Dave Castro expressed his condolences to Đukić’s family in a video online.
“It’s been an incredibly difficult day with the incident today with Lazar, and I’m mourning just like our community is. Just like the family is. And trying to focus on what we can do for them and how we can make it better with what we’re able to do with this small thing we have,” Castro said.