Body found on Venice Beach confirmed as former WWE star Shad Gaspard
Los Angeles police say a body found on Venice Beach is that of Shad Gaspard, the former WWE wrestler who was caught in a rip tide while swimming with his son last weekend.
Patrol officers were flagged down in the early hours of Wednesday by a person reporting that a body had washed ashore, a police statement said.
“The decedent was identified as Shad
Gaspard and next of kin was notified,” it said.
Gaspard’s 10-year-old son, Aryeh, was rescued and several other swimmers made it out of the water safely after they were caught in the strong currents on Sunday afternoon at Venice Beach in Los Angeles.
Gaspard, 39, was about 50 yards from shore when he was last spotted. “When last seen by the lifeguard, a wave had crashed over Mr Shad Gaspard and he was swept out to sea,” Los Angeles police said in a statement on Monday.
Actor and former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson paid tribute to Gaspard in a tweet on Wednesday. “My prayers and hope for Shad Gaspard’s wife, son and family during this unthinkable time. Man, this is a tough one. A really tough one. Great guy,” he wrote.
Gaspard gained prominence in the WWE as one half of the tag-team group
Cryme Time, along with his partner, JTG. After retiring from the WWE in 2010, Gaspard has had small roles on TV and in movies, including the 2015 Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard. He also worked as a bodyguard for stars such as Britney Spears and Mike Tyson prior to his wrestling career.