By OAN Staff James Myers and Brooke Mallory
Thursday, August 8, 2024 4:27 PM
Officials at the CrossFit Games in Texas announced a tragic death of a swimmer during the event.
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According to Barbell Sports, Lazar Djukic, 28, disappeared around 8 a.m. Thursday near the end of a livestreamed 800-meter swim at the CrossFit Games at Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth.
Friends and acquaintances of Djukic have speculated that he may have suffered a heart attack or a brain aneurysm, as he was known to be an accomplished swimmer, but the coroner’s website did not list the exact cause of death.
About an hour later, rescuers were seen pulling a body from the lake.
According to the fire service, seven fire units responded to a report of a possible drowning on the lakeshore just after 8 a.m. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
There are conflicting reports about how long it took for paramedics to arrive, with some reporting it was an hour and others claiming it took around 10 minutes.
This afternoon, the CrossFit Games finally released a statement, confirming that an athlete taking part in the competition had indeed died.
“CrossFit is deeply saddened by the death of a CrossFit Games athlete during the Individual Event 1 swim competition at the 2024 CrossFit Games,” the statement said. “We are cooperating fully with authorities and doing all we can to support the family at this time.”
Shortly afterwards, Barbell Sports cancelled the rest of the day’s events as the tragedy attracted media attention.
Djukic, 28, from Serbia, has competed in the CrossFit Games for years and was the third-ranked CrossFit athlete in his home country.
The athlete teased his participation in the competition on his Instagram page days before the big event, and it was clear he was excited and ready for the challenge.
But tragedy struck when Djukic suddenly disappeared during the swimming portion of the individual run, which begins with a 3.5-mile run and concludes with an 800-meter swim.
The CrossFit event will see around 10,000 participants from around the world and will finish on Sunday.
“Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said the city is coordinating mental health and grief counselors to help those who need it,” the report said. CBS News.
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