A Timeline of 2024 CrossFit Games Event 1: ‘Lake Day’
Photo of Marine Creek Lake shoreline taken by Mike Halpin
On August 8th at 7 a.m. CT, the first event of the 2024 CrossFit Games kicked off starting with a 3.5 mile run around Marine Creek Lake followed by a 800m swim across the lake to the other side.
Individual Event 1, ‘Lake Day’
For time:
3.5-mile run
800-meter swim
Time cap: None
Presented by: ROKA Eyewear
At approximately 7:38 a.m. during the final 250 feet of the swim portion of Event 1, Lazar Ðukić went under the water and did not come back up.
The Fort Worth Fire Department was called to the lake at about 8 a.m., according to the local NBC affiliate, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, to help find the missing swimmer. After about an hour of using boats, dive teams, and drones, they located Ðukić’s body.
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Over the last few weeks, athletes and spectators have posted stories, pictures, and videos that, taken together, begin to work out a picture of events before, during, and after “Lake Day.”
A common theme expressed by eyewitness reports from athletes, coaches, and managers at the event was a feeling described as a “time warp.”
Training Think Tank coaches Max El-Hag, Perrin Behr and Games athlete Travis Meyer discussed this feeling on their podcast.
“The whole concept of time got very distorted in general”, Max El-Hag said.
This article is an effort to document and reconstruct to the best of my ability, the events that occurred on August 8, 2024, at Marine Creek Lake.
Everything contained herein is supported by verifiable fact or direct, eyewitness testimony.
To reconstruct this timeline, I have anchored everything below to the event clock, the official chip times of athletes coming in, and with time stamps on photos and video.
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I was there Thursday morning as invited media for Known & Knowable alongside multiple other media outlets. Many of them have contributed stories, pictures, and videos that we used to create, and validate, this timeline.
The following is a collection of public documents, event photos, event videos, eyewitness written accounts, and video clips from the CrossFit Games YouTube broadcast.
What follows, however, is NOT the third-party investigation being conducted by Peter Edge.
There is no conclusive statement or editorialization below, this is an effort to provide information to the public that we have on hand.
Disclaimer: For many this was a traumatic event, and the recounting of these stories may be troubling for some to read. These accounts, documents and media are being shared in an effort to bring light to what occurred. If you need someone to talk to, the CrossFit Medical Society has set up resources to speak to a mental health specialist in your area.
The pictures and video clips included here are my own unless otherwise stated.
I captured them with an Insta360 x4 8K camera standing at the finish line of the event as well as a handheld camera I carried (see Map C below for exact position).
In some cases, the pictures and video are grainy due to magnification/zoom and the subject of the photo may be circled or highlighted.
In some circumstances, the photos/videos may be censored to be sensitive to the Ðukić family and friends.
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Timeline of Event 1
I spoke with two volunteers (a CrossFit Games judge and an athlete control volunteer), who at this time wish to remain anonymous.
The anonymous judge stated that before the event (August 7th) the judges were assembled as a group and then split into five subgroups, labeled A-E.
Judges from groups C, D, and E were assigned to cover Individual Event 1: “Lake Day.”
During the judge assignment process for “Lake Day,” the Games team asked judges from groups C, D, and E to volunteer (by a show of hands) for either the run portion or the swim portion of the event.
“They didn’t ask any of us if we had any experience or anything,” the judge told me, “They didn’t ask anything to the judges assigned to the run. They didn’t ask anything to the judges assigned to the swim. You know, do you have any rescue experience? Do you have any lifeguard experience? Nothing. It was literally, who is volunteering to be assigned to the run portion? Who is volunteering to be assigned to the swim portion? People raised their hands. They took the name down, and we left. That’s it.”
I arrived just after 6 a.m. CT.
A crowd of spectators was already around the fenced-in finish line area watching the athletes running in circles warming up:
Picture 1 - Lazar Ðukić and Saxon Panchik warming up prior to the start of the event.
6:28 a.m. — Lazar Ðukić and Saxon Panchik warming up.
6:30 a.m. — Victor Hoffer withdraws from the CrossFit Games.
Hoffer describes this in an Instagram post: “Thursday morning at 6:30, just 30 minutes after I left, a new injury occurred. The medical staff and Steven [Fawcett] analyzed the situation quickly and we estimated my journey to stop there, only 20 minutes from departure. I have never been so weak in a competition as I am for this one, but it's the Games, and this competition has no room for weakness.” *Note: this quote was translated by Instagram from French to English.
Approx 6:30 a.m. — The CrossFit Games team calls the athletes over to the shoreline of Marine Creek Lake and provides an update on what the athletes were previously told about the swim portion of the course.
Picture 2 - Dave Castro in the center of the picture points toward Marine Creek Lake surrounded by athletes, medical, judges, and others.
6:35 a.m. — Dave Castro points toward the lake surrounded by the individual athletes, an individual from the medical team, judges, and CrossFit media. Several athletes on the shore that morning have shared their recollections directly with me or on social media.
Here is the account of the CrossFit Games team's message, according to Games veteran and eventual third-place finisher, Brent Fikowski in an interview with Morning Chalk Up:
"We were originally briefed on Wednesday from 12:00 p.m.--1:30 p.m. at Dickie's Arena when we were told 'During the swim you must keep the buoys on your left shoulder.' We were told to arrive at Marine Creek Lake for check-in at the latest at 6:00 a.m. Thursday, August 8, and that at 6:30 a.m., all individual athletes would line up for the start.”
Fikowski continued, “Thursday morning before lining up for the event, we were told that the buoys are in the water, but they would not need to be kept on your left shoulder.”
Fikowski added as an aside:
“Keeping them on your left shoulder meant you would have traveled south more, you would have been traveling more distance if they kept that rule.”
“There could have been many reasons they chose to make this change. One of the reasons could have been that if some of the 78 athletes did not keep the buoys on their left shoulder for the entirety of the swim and instead chose a shorter route, it may have been difficult for the CrossFit Sport team to determine who disobeyed the rules and what type of penalty to apply."
Fikowski noted that with this rule update, anyone who chose to follow the buoys would have swam further than those who sighted the course to swim in a straight line.
He and I reviewed a straight-line map of the course, see below, that would put it at a minimum of around 864 meters in length. Brent stated that based on his GPS watch, he was in the water for a total of 896 meters.
Map A: Data from maps.google.com, confirming the distance of a straight line to the final yellow buoy and then to the exit. “Entrance” and “Exit” were marked with buoys that aligned with buoy locations seen in Picture 6 below.
This map is shown West to East, with the entrance on the Ten Mile Bridge Boat Ramp on the left of the map and the exit at the Marine Creek Public Boat Ramp on the right side of the map.
Icons for the 6 visible buoys have been placed to show that swimming with the buoy on the “left shoulder” would force athletes further South than the straight path which, as calculated above, was over 800 meters.
It’s important to note that the buoys were to remain in place for Team Event 1 that was originally scheduled to follow the Individual Event 1 at 8:00 a.m. CT.
The Team event was programmed to be a 3.5-mile run followed by a 0.75 mile (1,207-meters) paddle board. I have confirmed with team athletes briefed on the event that they were given the direction to keep the buoys to their left at all times.
The broadcast, as aired on the CrossFit Games YouTube channel (currently unavailable there, but available elsewhere online), does not provide a full view of the entire course. Two orange pill-shaped buoys and four yellow pyramid-shaped buoys are visible on the drone footage that aired on the broadcast as well as part of a documentary by the Buttery Bros.
Map B: Water course layout in the permit approved for the event, Marine Creek Lake-CrossFit Games- Executed Permit 08082024, available here. Note the different orientation of the map versus Map A above.
After the shoreline “athlete briefing” with the CrossFit Games team, the athletes were corralled into their starting positions and walked over to the starting line, see ‘START LINE’ on map below.
Map C: Reference map created by Mike Halpin. Points of interest labeled. Map source: maps.google.com
The camera used to create the majority of photos and videos shared in the timeline below are from the blue starred area above using an Insta360 x4 8K camera that was recording audio and video for the duration of the event after 7:34 a.m. CT.
Picture 3 - Henrik Haapalainen, Jelle Hoste, and Lazar Ðukić on the starting line. Their numbers are 29, 28, and 27 respectively left to right.
6:55 a.m. — Henrik Haapalainen, Jelle Hoste, and Lazar Ðukić are on the starting line. Their numbers are 29, 28, and 27 respectively left to right.
7:00 a.m. — 78 total athletes, 38 men and 40 women are lined up for Event 1 at their starting lines. The horn blows and the athletes run down the Trinity Trails at Marine Creek which is open to the public.
Picture 4 - Dave Castro facing the water, just after the start of Event 1. The running path can be seen on the other side of the lake.
7:01 a.m. — Dave Castro looks out across the lake to the first pack of runners running down the 3.5 mile course.
The anonymous judge, who was working Event 1, said that judges were stationed on the run course at the 1-mile mark, a 1.4 mile point (a water station), the 2-mile mark, and the 3-mile mark on the course.
Volunteers on the run course were tasked with monitoring athletes, making sure they followed the correct course, and that they ended the run at the “Ten Mile Bridge Boat Ramp.”
There the athletes dropped their shoes and entered the water.
Map D: Transition point diagrammed in the permit approved for the event, Marine Creek Lake-CrossFit Games- Executed Permit 08082024, available here
7:20 a.m. — Jeff Adler entered the water at 20 mins and 40 seconds on the broadcast event clock. Ricky Garard entered the water at 20:47. About a minute later, a wide-angle drone shot gives the viewers of the broadcast an idea of who is in the water.
Picture 5 - Start of the swim course - CrossFit Games YouTube Broadcast — “Thursday Morning” — See notation of medical and staff teams on water in the screenshot below for reference. Source: youtube.com
Picture 6 - Buttery Bros - ‘Tragedy at the CrossFit Games // 2024 Documentary’ - Timestamp - 5:59 - Annotated and circled on screen capture facing the entrance of the swim portion in the top left are the medical team members seen in the frame around entrance to swim portion of the event. Source: youtube.com
After the start of the run, other members of the media and I headed to the finish line area to set up near the boat ramp and dock. Judges, medical, and scoring teams were already set up there.
7:25 a.m. — Medical team members are stationed on the water on paddle boards as well as on the boat dock awaiting the arrival of the first pack of swimmers that took off from the northwestern boat dock approximately five minutes before this.
Picture 7 - A medical team member on a paddleboard can be seen just off the shore near the finish line area prior to the first pack of athletes coming into the final 200 meters of the swim.
According to an anonymous event 1 judge, there were both judges and medical team members on paddle boards in the water to monitor athletes.
The medical team wore red shirts, the judges wore blue.
7:30 a.m. — Dave Castro riding on a jetski from the transition point where athletes entered the water arrives at the boat dock ahead of the lead pack of swimmers. Castro can be seen in the picture below in the center on the back of the jetski.
Picture 8 - Medical team members, broadcast team, and jetski driver pictured with Dave Castro on the back of the jetski
7:32 a.m. — The first swimmer is seen coming around the final yellow buoy where a paddleboard/medical team member is stationed. Based on the “28” on his left shoulder the athlete is Jelle Hoste.
Picture 9 - Center of photo, Jelle Hoste coming around the final yellow pyramid-shaped buoy with a medical team member on a paddleboard just to the right of the buoy.
7:33 a.m. — A pontoon boat driven by an individual in a medical team uniform comes into the final swim area. Broadcaster Lauren Smith and other members of the broadcast team are on the boat.
Picture 10 - On the left is a pontoon boat with members of the broadcast team, and driven by an individual in a medical team shirt. On the right of the photo, medical team member on a paddleboard. Just to the left of the yellow buoy is Jelle Hoste in first place.
The anonymous Event 1 judge provided the following account they heard over the radio: “I would say 15 minutes after the first athlete was in the water, one of the jet ski riders asked the judges over the radio ‘if an athlete was going to withdraw from [the swim, would they have] to withdraw from the entire competition entirely?’”
The source continued, “It was a woman athlete that was definitely in distress. This is how the person described the situation…I would say after not too much [time], probably 30 seconds, a minute, max, she got the answer from that judge to say, ‘yeah, if you are withdrawing, you are going to withdraw from the entire competition.’ And, so she decided to move on and continue competing.”
7:35 a.m. — Jelle Hoste arrives in the final swim area, Lazar Ðukić can be seen in the top left in second place, no swim cap.
Picture 11 - Center of the photo splash is seen from the winner of the event Jelle Hoste, in the upper left of the picture Lazar Ðukić can be seen just out of the water with no swim cap.
7:35 a.m. — Master of Ceremony, Larry Moss announces “50 meters to go for leader” (Jelle Hoste) over the loudspeaker to the spectators watching around the finish line just after the broadcast camera crew enters the finish line area.
Picture 12 - Center of photo, in blue swim cap, 2x Games athlete Jelle Hoste can be seen walking out of water with camera crew on left, and Nicky Freymond of Morning Chalk Up on left.
7:36 a.m. — Jelle Hoste crosses the initial finish line under the ROKA Sports, Inc arch and celebrates his Event 1 win in front of the camera. Head Judge tells Hoste the actual finish line is at the top of the boat ramp and to keep moving.
Official Chip Time
(Add 7 hours to chip time for approximate local time.)
Jelle Hoste — 36:50.9
7:37 a.m. — A screen grab from the broadcast feed on YouTube and ESPN shows two paddle boarders. Note that the one on the left is wearing a blue “JUDGE” shirt and the one on the right is wearing a red “MEDICAL” shirt, annotated on the screenshot below:
Picture 13 - From CrossFit Games ESPN+ Broadcast, on left circled and annotated, judge in blue shirt on a paddleboard, on right circled and annotated a medical team member in red shirt on a paddleboard. Source: ESPN+
Official Chip Time
Brent Fikowski — 37:55.4
Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr — 38:06.9
Roman Khrennikov — 38:10.7
Ricky Garard — 38:32.6
Statement from the other on-site volunteer who spoke on the condition of anonymity: "I had just heard Ricky announced as finishing or about to finish thinking that was a good result for him in event 1. Very soon after, within a minute or two [Lazar Ðukić’s girlfriend, Dr. Anja Pantović, who had a coach wristband] came to say something was wrong with Lazar in the water. At that point [Athlete Control Leader] was walking by and asked her to wait, stay out of the athlete area, that she would check into it.”
7:38 a.m. — Spectator jumps into the water.
Picture 14 - Circled on picture, spectator Chris Gilmer seen jumping into water from a nearby dock.
Jessica Smith (Spectator) provided a statement to The Morning Chalk Up:
"I began screaming and looking over at my family members who were with me in a big group like does anyone see what I’m seeing? At the same time my mom’s screaming, “he’s fucking struggling, he’s drowning!” I grabbed Chris (my boyfriend who has been a law enforcement first responder for 12 years and was a recon Marine prior to that) and screamed at him, “Someone’s drowning!” My mom, Chris, and I ran down to the dock and screamed out at the male on the paddle board that someone was drowning. I was standing on the railing of the dock, waving my arms in the air and yelling at the male paddle boarder who was so close to the male I saw drown.”
She continued: “Everyone on the dock realized I was screaming that someone was drowning and also started yelling and waving to the two paddle boarders. I can see the male standing on the paddle board, with his hand over his forehead “like a visor” as he’s watching Tia approach the finish line. I knew Tia was not going to exit the water and cross the finish line before it was too late. I knew if he kept his attention on her through crossing the finish line, and I knew if the two persons on paddle boards didn’t see our arms waving around in the few seconds we had - that we would lose the male under water. We needed to react quickly if we were to have a chance at saving him, because he was already under the water. This is all at the same time that the dock is sinking due to the weight limit (another safety measure that should have been addressed prior to this event even starting).”
“I yelled at Chris [Gilmer] (see below) to “GO BABE!!” at 0738, and he immediately dove in and swam directly towards where the male athlete was last seen," she concluded.
Official Chip Time
Ruan Potgieter — 38:42.20
7:38 a.m. — As CrossFit Games Competition Director, Adrian Bozman walks by within the finish line area asking "Where is Larry?" Joe Genetin-Pilawa, Managing Editor of the Morning Chalk Up, leans in the direction of Brian Friend of B.Friendly Fitness and asks “Where is Lazar?”
Bozman then hands a clipboard to emcee Larry Moss.
Picture 15 - Adrian Bozman walking away from lake shore handing off a clipboard to emcee Larry Moss (not pictured).
Official Chip Time
Saxon Panchik — 38:50.8
7:38 a.m. — Multiple judges see someone has jumped in the water from the shore and are heard to say, “We got someone in the water!” Based on an anonymous volunteer from the broadcast team, the initial thought was that someone was just trying to cause a scene.
7:39 a.m. — Spectator, Chris Gilmer in water meets up with paddle boarder/medic. Seen in Picture 16 below.
Picture 16 - In the red circle just to the left of the head judge’s left shoulder can see a spectator swimming and being met by a medical team member on a paddleboard.
Statement from Chris Gilmer (Spectator who jumped in lake) provided a statement to The Morning Chalk Up:
"I knew that a swimmer had gone under and we had moments to perform a rescue. I again asked Jessica, “Where did he go under!” She pointed to the area and screamed at me, “Babe go! He’s drowning!” I decided at this point that time was of the essence if a rescue stood any chance of success. I ran down the dock, tore my shoes off, dove into the water and swam towards the drowning swimmer.”
“When I was about halfway to the area he went down, I was cut off by the female paddle boarder stationed on the right side of the finish line. At this point, I noticed that she appeared to be wearing only a swimsuit and the only item she carried with her was her paddle. She asked me, 'Who went under?!' I replied that I didn’t know, but everyone on shore saw him go under in the area that we were at. The paddle boarder said, 'Ok- get out of the water.'
Official Chip Time
James Sprague — 39:26.0
Björgvin Karl Guðmundsson — 39:29.9
Chris Ibarra — 39:32.2
Bethany Flores — 39:36.7
7:39 a.m. — Spectator/swimmer can be seen swimming back toward the dock where he entered the water.
Picture 17 - The spectator swimming in the water can now be seen moving in the direction of where they entered the water.
Official Chip Time
Brandon Luckett — 39:51.1
7:39 a.m. — Paddleboard/medical that just intercepted the spectator looks to spot a swimmer off course and starts paddling toward the swimmer. The swimmer who was off course was Jeff Adler.
Picture 18 - Annotated on picture, medical team member is paddling toward circled swimmer Jeff Adler seen over the shoulder of Cole Sager.
Official Chip Time
Justin Medeiros — 40:00.0
Cole Sager — 40:04.9
7:40 a.m. — Paddleboard/medical meets up with the off-course swimmer to intercept and correct his course back toward the finish line/boat ramp.
Picture 19 - Circled on picture, medical team member has met up with swimmer Jeff Adler in the water.
Official Chip Time
Jay Crouch — 40:19.0
Luke Parker — 40:19.0
Emily Rolfe — 40:21.3
Emma Tall — 40:35.5
Games veteran David Shorunke, who was on-site that morning (From Instagram post): “07:40 I see Emma cross the finish line so I head to the check-in entrance. I find Lazar’s partner Anja in tears because she cannot find Lazar, didn’t see him finish and is worried for his safety. Around this time two women run to the CFG staff next to me, frantically explaining that they saw someone go under, they shouted for help but no-one did anything so they ran here. I try to help Anja past the staff into the athlete area to look for Lazar, reminding her how great a swimmer he is and that he is probably fine.”
Official Chip Time
Dallin Pepper — 40:44.4
Travis Mayer — 40:47.9
Bruno Marins — 40:56.1
Grace Walton — 40:58.3
Luka Ðukić — 41:14.6
7:41 a.m. — A conversation amongst the media along the fenceline starts with Brian Friend saying “I am concerned about Lazar. Hey Joe…” at that same moment Larry Moss says over the loudspeaker “Ðukić, LAZAR! Coming across the finish line… Luka Ðukić coming across the finish line.”
Both names were called. There were two competitors by the name of L. Ðukić in the event: Lazar Ðukić and Luka Ðukić.
I approach Friend believing I just heard Lazar cross, and he continues “I am concerned for Lazar, he hasn’t come out of the water.” I then express disbelief in what I am being told, I thought I just heard his name.
Friend continues, “no..no..no.. he was in first place…” At that time, Chad Mueller, content creator and partner in B.Friendly Fitness approaches the group.
The two men then walk to the athlete area.
Watch video clip here.
In the span of the next 105 seconds, 19 athletes leave the water and cross the finish line.
Official Chip Time
Daisy McDonald — 41:36.4
Jayson Hopper — 41:38.4
Haley Adams — 41:41.3
Henrik Haapalainen — 41:42.4
Jeffrey Adler — 41:48.7
Karin Freyová — 41:52.5
Laura Horvath — 41:57.4
Moritz Fiebig — 42:00.4
Danielle Brandon — 42:13.7
Paige Semenza — 42:21.5
Kalyan Souza — 42:27.7
Harry Lightfoot — 42:32.8
Samuel Kwant — 42:35.2
Peter Ellis — 42:35.9
Gabriela Migała — 42:41.7
Samuel Cournoyer — 42:53.6
Aniol Ekai — 42:57.4
Calum Clements — 43:00.8
Cole Greashaber — 43:21.1
7:43 a.m. — Joseph Somakian, Lazar’s friend and agent approaches the lake and then stands on top of a large rock looking out at the water.
Picture 20 - Joseph Somakian, Lazar’s friend and agent standing on top of a large rock looking out at the water.
Official Chip Time
Madeline Sturt — 43:32.6
7:43 a.m. — Swimmer seen off course similar to Adler. The paddleboard/medical moves closer to the athlete to intercept and correct the athlete's course.
Picture 21 - Circled and annotated on picture, Patrick Vellner swimming perpendicular to the finish line is met in water by a medical team member on a paddleboard.
Official Chip Time
Alexis Raptis — 43:53.5
Austin Hatfield — 44:01.1
Jacqueline Dahlstrøm — 44:02.9
7:44 a.m. — Dave Castro steps into the finish line area looking out onto the water as athletes exit the water into the finish line area. The paddleboard/medic has now met up with swimmer Patrick Vellner.
Picture 22 - Dave Castro in a blue hooded long-sleeve shirt, center, can be seen looking out into the shoreline finish area.
Official Chip Time
Julia Kato — 44:22.9
Gemma Rader — 44:29.9
Hattie Kanyo — 44:30.7
Arthur Semenov — 44:51.8
Linda Keesman — 44:58.6
Arielle Loewen — 45:18.5
7:45 a.m. — Patrick Vellner continues to swim off course, paddleboard/medical continues to stick next to him routing him back toward the boat ramp finish area.
Picture 23 - Circled on the right center, Patrick Vellner continues to swim off course, paddleboard/medical continues to stick next to him routing him back toward the boat ramp finish area.
Official Chip Time
Aimee Cringle — 45:43.3
Seher Kaya — 45:58.6
Emma Lawson — 46:04.3
7:46 a.m. — Adrian Bozman walks from the athlete/scoring area down to the lake shoreline and looks out over the lake before returning to the scoring area. Bozman is followed by Event Coordinators.
Official Chip Time
Patrick Vellner — 46:38.8
Chloe Gauvin-David — 46:51.4
Brooke Wells — 46:56.0
Shelby Neal — 47:00.4
7:47 a.m. - Luka Đukić can be seen talking to Adrian Bozman in the background of the CrossFit Games broadcast by the scoring tent.
Picture 24 - Circled on photo Adrian Bozman can be seen talking to Luka Ðukić between sideline reporter Mike Arsenault and Tia-Clair Toomey in the foreground of screen capture taken of the CrossFit Games Thursday morning broadcast on YouTube.
Official Chip Time
Caroline Stanley — 47:21.2
Guilherme Malheiros — 47:27.4
Elisa Fuliano — 47:30.1
Elisa Fuliano (from Instagram post): “In 22 [minutes] of swimming, I only saw ONE guy on the paddle and then nothing until the end. I wanted to be so happy at the finish line because I actually made it, but I was only angry that when I had need in the water, nobody from the organisation was there.”
Official Chip Time
Andreia Pinheiro — 47:30.5
Georgia Pryer — 47:35.1
Abigail Domit — 47:52.2
Seungyeon Choi — 47:52.2
Claudia Gluck — 48:01.7
Emma McQuaid — 48:04.7
Victoria Campos — 48:07.1
7:48 a.m. — Nicky Freymond, Social Media Manager, Morning Chalk Up, asks the media group along the fence if we had seen Lazar Ðukić finish and recalls a few minutes back that Larry Moss said “Lazar” when it was “Luka.”
At the same time, family/friends of Lazar can be seen at the shoreline over Nicky's right shoulder.
Picture 25 - Nicky Freymond, Social Media Manager, Morning Chalk Up, asks the media group around the fence area if anyone around her had seen Lazar Ðukić finish and recalls a few minutes back that Larry Moss said “Lazar” when it was “Luka.”
Official Chip Time
Alexandre Caron — 48:22.3
Dawon Jung — 48:45.1
Dani Speegle — 48:50.9
Statement from Shanna Medeiros, mother of 2x CrossFit Games Champion, Justin Medeiros, statement provided to Morning Chalk Up: “I knew we had to reach someone so my daughter and I started running to try to reach the other side and in an effort to reach someone, anyone. There was a man in an easy-up tent at the top of the boat ramp on our side but he said he had no communication device. The crowd was too deep all the way around the sectioned-off area and I could not see anyone that worked for CrossFit. I knew we had to get to the other side so I just kept yelling, “I need CrossFit Staff, CrossFit Staff” and searching anyone that may have STAFF or MEDIA on their shirts. I never saw anyone that worked/volunteered for CrossFit…”
The next series of events from Shanna Medeiros’ statement occurred 8-10 mins after her son Justin Mederios finished, which was at 40:00.0:
From Shanna Medeiros: “We went over a barrier and then we were at the athlete area where the white tents started. Ironically the first person I saw was my son. Still not one CrossFit employee or volunteer. We were hysterical and he was startled. He asked ‘Mom, what’s wrong?’ I said ‘someone drowned and is still in the water in front of the boat ramp!’ He asked, ‘Are you sure?’I said ‘99.9% Yes I am sure!’ He then walked away and straight down toward the boat ramp area.”
Ms. Medeiros and her daughter Jessica were then met in the athlete area by a high-ranking CrossFit Games team member who she was unable to identify by name.
She insisted that she witnessed a male athlete drowning just past the boat dock and that she and her daughter would not leave the area until they could confirm to her that all male athletes were out of the water.
The team member then responded to Medeiros, “OK, stay here… if anyone asks you to leave you tell them that I said you could stay.”
After a few minutes, the team member returned to Shanna and stated, “I’ve been told all male athletes are accounted for.” After this confirmation, Shanna stated she was relieved but still really uncertain because she knew what she saw.
We would later find out that two chip timers did come up missing during the event.
Henrik Haapalainen lost his ankle-worn chip timer during the event and the chip timer for Lazar Ðukić never crossed the finish.
Scott Freymond, writer/photographer for the Morning Chalk Up, who spoke with Shanna Medeiros in the athlete area during this time, corroborated her story and the timing of events adding that the CrossFit Games team members were focused on men’s timer chips.
Shanna’s son, two-time Fittest Man on Earth, Justin Medeiros also mentioned seeing his mom and his sister in the athlete area, in his recently posted YouTube recap of the Games experience:
“My mom and my sister are hysterical, it was crazy, I mean they were saying someone drowned, someone went underwater and didn't come back up, and they could barely get the words out they're shaking; they're crying”
Justin went on to say, in his YouTube video, that he talked to someone at the finish line and provided his mother and sisters’ concerns of seeing someone going under and was told the person at the finish line saw what he was referring to and it was an athlete attempting to retrieve their swim cap.
“I told my mom and my sister that I talked to somebody and they said that they were double-checking but he said that they saw someone go underwater and come back up and everything was okay.”
7:48 a.m. — Family/friends of Lazar Ðukić can be seen talking to Dave Castro at the shoreline looking out onto the lake. After a few seconds, Castro walks away from the family back up toward the athlete and scoring areas. The second picture is at 7:49:06 a.m.
Picture 26 - In the background of a screenshot from a 360-degree video, Joseph Somakian along with Anja Pantović (blurred for privacy) can be seen talking to Dave Castro.
Picture 27 - Moment after picture 28, Dave Castro can be seen walking away from Joseph and Anja after brief conversation.
Official Chip Time
Alex Gazan — 49:14.8
7:49 a.m. — Lazar’s friends and family move back up the boat ramp as Luka Ðukić walks down from the athlete area. Luka approaches the fence in the finish line area and asks the Head Judge, “Where’s Lazar?”
Picture 28 - Luka Đukić approaches the fence around the finish line boat dock area and speaks with head judges. Anja Pantović (blurred for privacy) stands beside Luka Đukić
This interaction continues to escalate as Luka and Lazar’s friends and family follow the head judge down to the shoreline of the lake.
Official Chip Time
Lexi Neely — 51:03.9
Bayley Martin — 51:04.6
Picture 29 - Sevan Matossian of The Sevan Podcast on left, Dave Castro center, Anja Pantović on right (blurred for privacy)
7:52 a.m. — A conversation occurs between Luka Đukić, Anja, and Dave Castro. During this conversation others from the invited media were present.
I was about 10 feet from the conversation but could not hear what was said.
The conversation lasted less than a minute. Shortly thereafter both Luka and Castro walk away from the shoreline and Luka is then seen in one of the cold tubs in the athlete area.
Official Chip Time
Jack Rozema — 52:54.5
7:54 a.m. — Additional staff including the Senior Manager of Events, John McLaughlin, and the Event Producer are now in the athlete area near the shoreline where the media is set up with their eyes on the water.
The Head Judge then ran down toward the members of the media who were talking to Jenna Hauca, Chief Marketing Officer for CrossFit. “Where is the family?” the Head Judge asks. Hauca points toward the ice baths and the athlete area. Shortly after the Head Judge runs in that direction, an individual from the CrossFit HQ team tells members of the media in the finish line area, "They said his chip came across the finish line."
Picture 30 - Left of the picture is the head judge, multiple members of the media can be seen in the center of the photo, Chief Marketing Officer Jenna Hauca points in the direction of the athlete area on the right side of the picture.
7:55 a.m. — A minute after the head judge has run to find the family, Dave Castro, the staff of contracted event coordinators, medical team members, and leaders start grouping up at the finish line area.
Watercraft, including two boats, two jet skis, and six paddle boards converge in the area. A minute later, Castro, the event coordinators, and the judges have a conversation on the boat dock.
Picture 31 - Multiple members of the CrossFit Games team, including Dave Castro facing toward Marine Creek Lake as members of the medical team can be seen on jet ski and paddle boards on the lake.
7:56 a.m. — Games Rookie Kyra Milligan is the final athlete to exit the water. At this point multiple medical team members are seen in the area on paddle boards.
Picture 32 - right center of picture, CrossFit Games rookie Kyra Milligan walking out of the lake as the final athlete to leave the water. Multiple CrossFit Games team members can be seen on the shore line and on the water.
Official Chip Time
Kyra Milligan — 57:18.7
7:57 a.m. — McLaughlin, a member of the medical team, and the Medical Director of the CrossFit Games, meet near the shoreline, shortly thereafter, the Head Judge approaches them.
Around this same time, Emcee Larry Moss, announces “the teams event will be starting at 8:05 a.m.”
Picture 33 - From Left to Right: Head Judge, member of the medical team, Senior Manager of Events, and Medical Director of the CrossFit Games
7:59 a.m. — The group consisting of HQ staff, medical, judges, and event coordinators standing in the shoreline area grows.
One of Lazar’s coaches from ATP Lab approaches the group congregated in the area and says "we must go and find him." The ATP Lab coach can then be seen searching on either side of the boat ramp area for Lazar.
Pictures 34 & 35 - Left picture, ATP Lab coach approaches medical and event teams. Right picture, ATP Lab coach standing on shoreline.
8:00 a.m. — INCIDENT REPORT – Available here – The emergency teams including Fort Worth Fire and Police are notified. The incident report lists “Problem: DRO NING” [sic].
8:02 a.m. — Two Fort Worth Police Officers arrive on bicycles in the area where CrossFit Games team members, Luka Ðukić, volunteers, and coaches have congregated.
Picture 36 - Two police officers arrive on the scene at the shoreline area where coaches and CrossFit Games team members and staff have gathered.
8:03 a.m. — David Shorunke approaches Luka Đukić at the shoreline as an ATP coach removes shoes and socks.
Picture 37 - To the right of the picture Dave Shorunke can be seen just to the left of Luka Ðukić with CrossFit Games staff and a medical team member standing behind them.
David Shorunke (from Instagram post): “Some of Ðukić’s party are entering the water, looking for Lazar underwater and by the shore. I ask staff if the shoreline and reeds have been searched in case he swam to shore in exhaustion. Part has been searched, part has not.”
His post continued, “Two spectators tell me they saw an athlete go under near the last orange buoy, they shouted for help and tried to get in but they were stopped by a lifeguard, I pass them on to one of the police officers. I borrow some swim shorts from an athlete and enter the water myself, joined by [Will] Moorad and [Jake] Marconi.”
Shorunke concluded, “We help search for 20 minutes but the water is too deep and too dark to see anything. Fire department arrives and we are asked to leave the water for the divers to get in. 20-30 minutes later, the divers enter the water.”
8:03 a.m. — Jenna Hauca, CMO of CrossFit, approaches invited media gathered in the area and requests them to move back from the shoreline.
Moments later I turned off the camera and backed up to an area the media team stated to be public property along with others from media teams in the CrossFit space.
Picture 38 - Center of picture, CMO Jenna Hauca approaches members of invited media and asks that they move themselves out of the shore/finish line area.
The anonymous volunteer told me, “They asked us to leave the [finish line] area, and they moved us to the white tent; the white tent had an open view of [the lake area]. We couldn’t leave the scene with anybody from our team unaccounted for so we needed to wait for all the volunteers to come back.”
They went on to explain that a CrossFit staff member told the volunteers that they shouldn’t stay or look at what was occurring because “as a firefighter, I’ve seen this before and it sticks with you.”
Based on the volunteer judge’s statement provided to Morning Chalk Up, the volunteers assembled at the white tent still could not leave due to a delay in other volunteers returning to the meet-up area to be dismissed. Some of the team that worked at the transition point, which was next to a hard-hat-only construction zone off of Ten Mile Bridge Road were stranded because the boat which originally was used to transport them back and forth, had been repurposed for the search.
According to the volunteer, the full team was dismissed before Ðukić’s body was removed from the lake.
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APPENDIX, Documents obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests
From Incident Report linked above:
Description Date Time
DIVER IN WATER 8/8/2024 09:17:33
DIVER OUT OF WATER 8/8/2024 10:10:18
Report: 242210092__Marine_Creek_
“E15 arrived on scene 30 minutes after person swimming was last seen. Multiple people in water looking for victim. D32 arrived on scene and launched their boat to search for victim. Found body and took to another location to extricate from lake due to large crowd and family on scene.”
“Apparatus Narrative for AR22: I, Investigator CJ Hughes #6317 (ARSN22), along with Investigator K Wroblewski #6331 (ARSN36), responded to this incident to assist in searching for the victim. We flew multiple flights with two different drone systems, but were unable to locate the victim. Once BAT3 confirmed that we were no longer needed, we got available.”
“Apparatus Narrative for DIV07: DIV32 and DIV7 arrived on scene and launched DIV32's boat. DIV32 conducted a search with their sonar to narrow down the search area, while DIV7 was looking at video footage of the event to determine where the victim submerged. After several minutes DIV32 was able to positively identify the location of the victim with the sonar, which matched the location DIV7 saw on the videos. Diver 1 was sent down but was unable to locate the victim. Diver 2 went down and successfully located the victim. The victim was placed in a body bag then in a stokes basket which was used to get the victim into the boat. Due to the large crowd and media presence at the event on the southeast side of the lake it was determined to remove the victim from the southwest side. This was done for the privacy of the victim. Medstar, FWPD, and the Medical Examiner's office were located on the southwest side of the lake when the victim was removed. The victim's body was turned over to the ME's office once on shore. DIV32 and DIV7 returned to quarters, deconned equipment and returned to service.”
“Apparatus Narrative for DIV32: Dive 32 crew responded and arrived on scene where we were informed of the situation. Dive 32 crew immediately began preparing the boat for deployment. Once in the water we used the sonar aboard to locate the victim's approximate location. 2 anchored markers were set. We set boat anchor and one buoy while diver one was getting suited up. Diver one was deployed with communication line and direction of travel. Diver one surfaced without finding the victim. Dive 32 with the assistance of two crew members from Dive 7 deployed another buoy attached to the first buoy by search line in preparations for a buoy to buoy search. Diver two was deployed, and immediately located the victim upon descent of the second buoy. The victim was brought to the surface where he was pronounced dead. Shielding the victim as much as possible with our boat from the crowd gathered on shore, the victim was then placed into a covering and hoisted onto the bow of the boat in a stokes basket. The victim was then brought by boat to the boat dock on the other side of the lake where we were met by Medstar personnel, FWPD, and Medical Examiner.”
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Public documents around Fort Worth, CrossFit and the use of Marine Creek Lake for the Individual Event 1 that should be shared.
The first document is the TRWD - GENERAL ORDINANCE - REGULATIONS FOR WATER AND LAND UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF TARRANT REGIONAL WATER DISTRICT, specially Article VI which speaks to where a person can swim. The full document is available here. It’s quite possible given the requested permit, see below that the Article VI: Swimming may not apply however worth noting and it was contingent on swimmers staying within buoyed swimming areas.
The next document is the Marine Creek Lake-CrossFit Games- Executed Permit 08082024, available here. The document provided CrossFit LLC the use of Marine Creek Lake for a ‘Triathlon on designated areas of Marine Creek Lake on August 8, 2024. Within the permit are also maps that in emails obtained by Morning Chalk Up ,John McLaughlin states are ‘very confidential’.
The next document is the Certification of Liability Insurance dated 7/26/24 the Insured is CrossFit, LLC, from the document “Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) is named as Additional Insured where required by written contract with respects to General Liability arising out of operations of the Named Insured.” The document can be found here.
The last document is the CrossFit and Visit Fort Worth Contract 61655, available here, which was signed on 7/2/2024, excerpts below. The city of Fort Worth, as well as the state of Texas paid Visit Forth Worth (“VFW”), which per the agreement is a Texas non-profit corporation that is organized for the exclusive purpose of promoting the public interest in the City of Fort Worth, Texas and its metropolitan area and CrossFit LLC, “COMPANY” $773,731.00 to hold and conduct the Event at Dickie' s Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, from August 8, 2024 through August 11, 2024.
The payment per Section 5 (c) is to pay VFW and COMPANY for the necessary, reasonable, and actual expenses required to prepare for and conduct the Event as a means to reimburse VFW and COMPANY to help cover the costs of the Event, including in areas of which the City lacks expertise. Areas listed in this section include, (G) Emergency medical technician/ Medic services, trainers and other medi[c]al personnel; Staff hired or contracted specifically for the Event; (I) Event Insurance, (M) Expenses related to health screening and safety protocols for event participants, staff and attendees; among other items.
