Athlete Dies While Swimming Inches Before Finishing Competition: Videos & Disturbing Details

The death of a Serbian athlete has sent shockwaves reverberating through the public. Competing in the Crossfit Games on August 8 in Fort Worth, Texas, the late athlete was mere inches away from the competition finish line when he lost his life as a result of drowning.

According to a news outlet, the death happened on the competition’s first day and caused the cancellation of the events for the remainder of the day. Tarrant County Medical Examiner confirmed the identity of the swimmer as Lazar Dukic.

Dukic’s drowning occurred on Thursday morning (August 8), in Marine Creek Lake. Authorities shared that at 8 a.m. local time, the Fort Worth Fire Department responded to a distress call concerning a competitor who had gone missing in action (M.I.A.) in the water.

Using dive teams and the help of a drone, first responders then tried to locate Dukic. After about an hour, they had recovered his body from the water. Following this, Dukic’s body was transported to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner.

CrossFit CEO Don Faul, who said the organization is cooperating fully with authorities in the investigation, confirmed that safety personnel were on-site during the swimming event. He also expressed how “gutted” he is concerning the incident.

Speaking on the situation, Faul stated, “We’ll continue to be focused on our community and the family through this tragic set of circumstances. There’s a lot of people in the community that are hurting right now […] that knew the athlete well, that loved, respected this person. A lot of people are in mourning.”

A witness who observed what happened on the day Dukic met his demise was interviewed by a WFAA reporter, who asked him what he saw and how he felt.

Still reeling from the tragedy, the man shared, “When it first happened, my heart was racing probably for a couple of hours after. Uhm, absolutely devastated. Not sure what to think, almost in denial.”

In trying to process what transpired, the man said he had talked to family members and friends for a few hours. “It’s very tough. I think it’s gonna take a while. Right now, I’ll have moments where I’m ok and then moments where I’ll just break down in tears, just in shock about what actually happened there,” the unnamed witness disclosed.

While the witness didn’t know Dukic all too well, he did clarify that he had gotten to chat with him briefly when the two had stayed at the same hotel for a competition.

“The only thing I remember about him was just how nice he was. He didn’t know who I was but he took the time to talk to me,” mentioned the man.

He went on to speak about how devastating it was to watch Dukic’s brother, who was also competing, run up and down the sidelines trying to find Dukic in the water.

The witness also divulged how he, along with a few other people, had tried to get Dukic, who he said was about 150 meters out in the water, assistance when he was drowning. They shouted out to the lifeguards that he needed help.

In addition to them not doing anything, the witness said that there was a point where somebody else had jumped in to try to save Dukic but one lifeguard told them to get out of the water.

The man said that the lifeguard ended up swimming over to where Dukic had gone under, but she simply paddled around the area and got back out of the water. “I feel like, at that point, she needed to blow a whistle and stop the event,” asserted the witness.

The swimming event had been live-streamed on an array of platforms. However, ABC affiliate WFAA reported that live streaming halted on Thursday morning.

While event live streams are no longer available on CrossFit Games’ platforms, two videos showing snippets of the tragedy have been shared by individuals on X. One comes from a man named Adam Mahler, who said that he used to work as a lifeguard for three years.

His video displayed athletes swimming in the lake as they pushed on to reach the finish line which was situated outside of the water. Among the various athletes, Dukic can be seen struggling as he tries his best to continue swimming.

His head bobbed up and down as he struggled to keep it above the water. Eventually, the athlete is completely submerged and does not come back up.

Expressing his anger and devastation in a message alongside the video, Mahler penned, “You have no idea how incensed I am watching this video where there is a clear active drowning victim. This should result in lawsuits and jail time for the people responsible. #CrossFit.”

A similar video was shared by another person on X. This person’s video showed a closer angle of the moment Dukic’s drowning happened as he zoomed in on the late swimmer fighting for his life in the water, despite being surrounded by two lifeguards on paddleboards.

“Whilst everyone is watching Tia race for the finish. Including it appears the @CrossFitGames safety team. [Lazar Dukic] is left to drown with [apparently] spectators being turned away from attempting a rescue,” wrote the X user in his caption accompanying the video.

Since the tragedy, CrossFit Games took to their X account to speak out about what happened and honor Dukic’s life with a dedication. “Today is the saddest day in @CrossFit history. We are shattered by the loss of Lazar Đukić along with the entire CrossFit community,” they began.

They went on to highlight Dukic as one of the sport’s “most talented competitors.” More than just a star athlete, Dukic was a beloved brother, son, and friend to many.

CrossFit labeled him as “fiercely competitive, incurably joyful, and uncommonly kind,” before dubbing him as “the sun of any room he was in.”

The organization also reiterated how inconceivable the loss is. However, they expressed that they would continue the Games in Dukic’s honor, dedicating the upcoming weekend’s events in his name.

RIP, dear Dukic. We send our most heartfelt condolences to the superstar athlete’s bereaved loved ones and wish for healing in their time of grief.