Witnesses horrified as athlete drowns at CrossFit Games event in Texas

An athlete drowned while competing in the CrossFit Games in Texas on Thursday, shocking everyone present.

A video showed the moment the athlete fell below the waterline and never came back up. His body was found about an hour later.

“Within seconds he was underwater. He never came back up.”

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the deceased athlete as Lazar Ðukić, a 28-year-old Serbian. Games officials said the athletes were competing in the running and swimming event at Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth when Ðukić drowned.

Cole Learn, an athlete from Ontario, Canada, told WFAA-TV he was shocked by the incident.

“I’m completely devastated. I don’t really know what to think and I’m almost in denial,” Learn said.

“I saw him start to struggle. He started doing little turns and he was trying to get his head out of the water,” he recalled. “That’s when we started yelling at the lifeguard that he needed help and a few seconds later he was under water. He never came back up.”

Learn said he saw the victim’s brother running up and down the lake looking for his brother.

The incident rocked the event, which was being held in Fort Worth for the first time this year. It had previously been held in Madison, Wisconsin, for years.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched for Ðukić’s family.

“Known for his kindness, sense of humor and supportive nature, Lazar was a breath of fresh air wherever he went. Beyond his athletic accomplishments, Lazar was caring, humorous and a tireless supporter of those around him,” the message read.

The CrossFit Games events were canceled for the day, but it was unclear whether the rest of the scheduled events would continue through the weekend.

WFAA-TV posted video of the scene on its YouTube news feed.

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