An eyewitness at the CrossFit Games recounted the harrowing moment he observed an athlete struggling during a swim event, ultimately disappearing underwater without resurfacing.
The CrossFit community was left reeling by the tragic death of athlete Lazar Dukic during the CrossFit Games held in Texas.
Video footage from the event captures Dukic in apparent distress as he nears the conclusion of the 800m swimming event.
The footage shows Dukic gasping for air before vanishing beneath the water’s surface, failing to reappear.
Those who witnessed the incident were horrified by the unfolding tragedy and shouted for help, urging someone to assist Dukic in the water.
Athlete Cole Learn, who was watching the event, quickly realized that something was amiss.
In an Instagram story, Learn detailed the moment he sensed danger.
He stated: “We watched Lazar go under and we screamed for some life guards, we were pretty far away so it was tough to do anything else, but we were yelling for lifeguards and unfortunately they couldn’t hear us, and he just never came back up.
“I am absolutely devastated, that was not something that I wanted to watch.”
Learn added: “That’s what happened, we’re gonna try and figure things out.”
Following Dukic’s disappearance, divers were dispatched to search the water as bystanders were unable to locate him.
Emergency services later confirmed that a body had been retrieved from the water.
An investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the incident.
Athlete David Shorunke, who also witnessed the event, commented on Instagram: “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.”
In a statement on Twitter, the CrossFit Games expressed: “Today is the saddest day in @CrossFit history. We are shattered by the loss of Lazar Đukić along with the entire CrossFit community.
“Lazar was one of our sport’s most talented competitors, but he was much more than an athlete. He was a son, a brother, and a friend to practically everyone who knew him. Fiercely competitive, incurably joyful and uncommonly kind, Lazar was the sun of any room he was in. The loss of his light is inconceivable.”