CNN —
An athlete died Thursday during a swimming competition in a Texas lake on the first day of CrossFit Games – a multiday event that attracts global athletes widely regarded as being among the fittest people in the world.
The athlete was Serbia native Lazar Dukic, 28, according to records from the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office. A cause of death was not listed as of Friday afternoon.
Police stationed at the event in Fort Worth received a call just before 7 a.m. about a competitor who “was last seen in the water and … did not resurface,” and that person eventually was pronounced dead at the scene, Fort Worth police said.
“Our hearts are with Lazar’s entire family, friends, and fellow athletes,” CrossFit Games said on X.
The 800-meter swimming portion of Thursday morning’s event was held at Marine Creek Lake, after athletes competed in a 3.5-mile run, according to CrossFit. The remaining events scheduled for Thursday were canceled, its organizers said.
In a statement released Friday, CrossFit CEO Don Faul said following conversations with Dukic’s family and other athletes, it was decided the CrossFit Games would continue as scheduled. The event will now be dedicated to Dukic’s memory.
CrossFit Games is a four-day event that attracts athletes from all over the world, and widely regarded as an ultimate test of physical capability.
At a news conference Thursday, Faul said he feels “gutted” by the tragedy and said the fitness company is “doing everything in our power during this tragic time to support the family, to support our community.”
“Extensive planning” is involved with every CrossFit Games competition, including a documented safety plan with personnel on-site throughout the event, Faul said.
In Faul’s Friday statement, he said the company has begun an investigation that will “include an independent third-party review” of the incident.
Athlete known for ‘kindness, humor, supportive nature’
Dukic was pronounced dead at 10:24 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.
The incident is being investigated and homicide detectives have been notified about the case, police said.
CrossFit said Thursday it was “fully cooperating with authorities and doing everything we can to support the family at this time.”
The Fort Worth Fire Department came to the site after the 911 call strictly as a “search and rescue-type resource,” department spokesperson Craig Trojacek said at the news conference.
“We had our dive teams come out, we had our arson investigators come out with their drones, trying to help locate the missing person,” Trojacek said. “We were ultimately able to bring that body out of the water just a little over an hour from when we put our first diver in the water.”
A police homicide unit came to the scene after the athlete’s body was recovered, Fort Worth police Sgt. Lee Wagner said.
“This has been a terrible day for everybody who has participated in these events, and it breaks our hearts to see everyone mourning for what happened today,” Wagner said at the news conference.
The FITAID performance energy drink brand said in a Facebook post Dukic was a “beloved member of our team and has been like family over these years.
“Our hearts are broken,” the post reads.
A GoFundMe fundraiser was organized by FITAID for Dukic’s family. The athlete was “known for his kindness, humor, and supportive nature,” the GoFundMe page reads.
“After years of passionately playing water polo in his home country Serbia, his debut at the 2021 CrossFit Games highlighted the start of a remarkable career. He shared a special bond with his brother Luka, introducing him to CrossFit and guiding him along the way,” reads the statement on the fundraiser.
Cole Learn, a CrossFit Games athlete who witnessed the incident, told CNN affiliate WFAA he was “absolutely devastated” by Dukic’s death.
“Not sure what to think – almost in denial,” Learn, of Ontario, Canada, said.
Learn said he has broken down in tears, in shock about his fellow athlete’s death.
“I saw him sort of start to scramble (in the water),” Learn told WFAA. “He started doing small turns and he was trying to get his head out of the water. It was at that time we started screaming to the lifeguard he needed help and within seconds, he was under and he never came back up.”
Learn told WFAA that watching Dukic’s brother, who was also competing in CrossFit Games, “run up and down the sidelines looking for him is something I’ll carry with me for a long time.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Lazar Dukic’s first name.
