Investigation underway into drowning death of CrossFit Games athlete, organizers say
The organizers of the CrossFit Games have initiated an investigation into the death of an athlete during a run-swim event in Fort Worth on Thursday.
Serbian professional CrossFit athlete Lazar Đukić drowned at Marine Creek Lake, prompting organizers to cancel the rest of the day’s events.
The investigation will include an independent third-party review of the incident, CrossFit CEO Don Faul said in an emailed statement to the Star-Telegram.
“The safety of our community is of paramount concern to CrossFit, and we have rigorous protocols in place for each event at the CrossFit Games,” Faul said. “We will share information as appropriate.”
Đukić, 28, was seen struggling not far from the finish line. People on paddle boards appeared to be close enough to have seen him. CrossFit did not respond to a question about whether the paddle boarders were certified lifeguards.
Fellow CrossFit athlete David Shorunke said in a post on Instagram that other athletes and spectators saw Đukić struggling in the water and attempted to go in and help him, but were stopped by a lifeguard. He was in the water looking for Đukić when firefighters arrived to recover the body.
“I hope the investigation underway reveals how one of the best runners and swimmers in the field managed to drown 30 metres from the finish in full view of lifeguards, medical personnel and hundreds of fans — some of which apparently saw what was happening,” Shorunke, who is from the United Kingdom, said in the post. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Reaction to the Đukić’s death was unanimous in lamenting the tragic loss of life. Some on social media have said that CrossFit is responsible for his death, but CrossFit practitioners who came to watch the games told the Star-Telegram on Thursday that such risk is part of the competition and athletes are well aware of it beforehand. Athletes sign an assumption of risk waiver in order to compete in the games.
Fort Worth police told the Star-Telegram they are not investigating and would only open an investigation if the medical examiner’s office finds the cause of death to be something other than accidental drowning.
This story was originally published August 9, 2024 at 3:03 PM.
