Tragic Drowning at CrossFit Games Shocks Community

The CrossFit Games faced a heartbreaking turn of events when an athlete tragically drowned during the competition on Thursday morning.

Lazar Đukić, a 28-year-old from Serbia, was participating in the swimming portion of the first event at Marine Creek Lake when he went underwater around 8 a.m. and failed to resurface, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.

First responders from the Fort Worth Fire Department and Fort Worth Police Department quickly jumped into action to locate him. Using dive teams and drones, they were able to recover his body within an hour.

Following the incident, CrossFit CEO Don Faul announced that the rest of Thursday’s events were canceled out of respect, but the Games would continue on Friday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.

A special tribute for Đukić was scheduled to take place at Dickies Arena at 10 a.m. on Friday. Faul expressed their deep sorrow and emphasized that they were doing everything possible to support the athlete’s family during this difficult time.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker also offered support, coordinating mental health and grief counselors to help those affected by the tragic loss. She stated, ‘We are profoundly saddened by the tragic loss of a CrossFit athlete during a CrossFit Games swimming event.’

In light of this tragedy, a GoFundMe page has been set up for Đukić’s family and has already raised over $140,000.

This year’s CrossFit Games marked their first appearance in Fort Worth, previously being held in locations like Carson, California, and Madison, Wisconsin. However, this year’s event will now carry the weight of loss and remembrance.

As the competition resumes, the CrossFit community reflects on the risks associated with such demanding events. This incident is not the first time athletes have struggled during competitive swimming in previous Games.

There have been past incidents, including one where well-known athlete Matt Fraser almost drowned during a swim event in 2017, highlighting the dangers present even among skilled athletes.