Witnesses horrified as athlete drowns during event at CrossFit Games in Texas

An athlete drowned while competing Thursday at the CrossFit Games in Texas, shocking everyone in attendance.

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

'In a few seconds he was under. He never came back up.'

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office identified the deceased athlete as 28-year-old Lazar Ðukić of Serbia. Officials of the games said the athletes were competing in the run-swim event at Marine Creek Lake in Fort Worth when Ðukić drowned.

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

"Absolutely devastated. Not sure what to think, and almost in denial," said Learn.

"I saw him sort of start to scramble. He started doing small turns and he was trying to get his head out of the water," he recalled. "It was at that time we started screaming to the lifeguard he needed help and in a few seconds he was under. He never came back up."

Learn said that he watched as the victim's brother ran up and down the side of the lake searching for his sibling.

The harrowing incident marred the event, which was being held in Fort Worth for the first time this year. Previously, it was held in Madison, Wisconsin, for years.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Ðukić's family.

"Known for his kindness, humor, and supportive nature, Lazar brought a breath of fresh air wherever he went. Beyond his athletic achievements, Lazar was caring, humorous and relentlessly supported those around him," the post read.

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

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

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