Body found by authorities after CrossFit athlete vanishes underwater during swimming competition
Yasmeen Hamadeh
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@lazadjukic / WFAA
A body has been found after a CrossFit athlete went missing while taking part in a swimming contest for the CrossFit Games in Texas.
During the games' 800-meter swim portion at the Fort Worth Marine Creek Lake in Texas, Serbian athlete Lazar Đukić seemed to vanish underwater right before the finish line.
The incident reportedly occurred at around 8 am on Thursday morning (August 8), and first responders pulled a body from the lake about two hours later.
Authorities have yet to confirm the identity of the body, but the CrossFit Games' committee did confirm that an athlete had died in a statement.
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"CrossFit is deeply saddened by the death of a CrossFit Games competitor during the swimming portion of Individual Event 1 at the 2024 CrossFit Games," the statement read.
"We are fully cooperating with authorities and doing everything we can to support the family at this time."
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that seven firefighter units initially responded to a possible drowning call at the lake around 8 am.
Further events planned for the day have been suspended amidst the tragic news.
JUST IN: Serbian CrossFit athlete Lazar Dukic disappears under the water just moments before crossing the finish line during the 2024 CrossFit Games.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 8, 2024
Dukic’s team told the organizers he didn’t emerge from the water which prompted a dive team to look for him.
"It is our… pic.twitter.com/Q0jcYJfbLf
Đukić was a regular competitor at the CrossFit Games for several years.
He was ranked 88th in the world in the male category and third in his home country of Serbia.
This is a developing story and updates will be posted accordingly.