Body of Crossfit athlete found after vanishing underwater during swimming event

The Serbian athlete got into difficulty

Serbian athlete, Lazar Dukic was competing at Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday when he disappeared beneath the water.

Emergency services were called around 8am local time to reports that a participant was in the water and had not been seen in some time.

After launching a search with a dive team and drones, the athlete’s body was found approximately an hour after the first divers entered the water.

The rest of the events planned for day one were cancelled after Dukic’s death.

In a press conference, CrossFit chief executive Don Faul said organisers were ‘deeply saddened’ by the death and were working with authorities on the investigation.

He said: “We’re doing everything in our power during this tragic time to support the family, to support our community.”

The medical examiner has not yet listed the cause of Dukic’s death.

The event was being live streamed at the time and footage circulated on social media appears to show Dukic getting into difficulty around 100m from the end of the 800m swim.

CrossFit is a branded fitness regime that involves competing in a variety of movements at a high intensity.

Mr Faul confirmed there had been safety personnel on site during the swim.

According to the Serbs biography on the CrossFit website he was the third ranked athlete in Serbia and the 88^th ranked worldwide.

A fundraiser which was set up for Dukic’s family with a target of $200,000 has already surpassed that. According to the page Dukic made his debut in 2021 after being introduced to the sport by his brother Luka.