A Serbian athlete tragically drowned during a swimming event at a CrossFit competition in Texas on Thursday, as confirmed by the organization.
The incident took place on the inaugural day of the CrossFit Games, which are scheduled to run in Fort Worth until Sunday. CrossFit announced that all events for the day have been canceled.
The athlete has been identified as Lazar Dukic by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner.
CrossFit CEO Don Faul expressed deep grief during a press conference, stating that he feels “gutted” by the loss. “We will continue to focus on our community and the family during this tragic set of circumstances,” Faul remarked.
The drowning occurred in Marine Creek Lake early Thursday morning. The Fort Worth Fire Department received a call around 8 a.m. local time concerning a participant who had gone missing in the water. Emergency responders promptly deployed dive teams and a drone to locate Dukic, whose body was recovered approximately an hour later.
Authorities reported that the athlete’s remains have been sent to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office. Faul acknowledged the pain felt by many in the community, stating, “There’s a lot of people hurting right now, really sad, who knew and respected this person.”
He added that CrossFit is fully cooperating with local authorities as they investigate the incident.
The swimming event was being streamed live on several platforms before being abruptly halted due to the emergency, reports indicate. The livestreams of the competition have since been taken down from CrossFit Games’ platforms.
Faul assured that safety personnel were present during the event, and noted that thirty teams from around the globe are participating in the CrossFit Games, which are being held in Texas for the first time in the event’s 18-year history.
CrossFit plans to meet later on Thursday to discuss the future of the games following this incident.
This situation is ongoing, and further updates will follow.