According to TMZ, Gaspard was swimming with his 10-year-old son at Venice Beach, California Sunday afternoon when the former wrestler and a group of swimmers were caught in a strong riptide around 4 p.m.
A witness at the scene told TMZ that Gaspard directed rescuers to help his son first, which they did. A Los Angeles Fire Department official told the media Sunday that they believe Gaspard “did submerge” and that’s the last time the 39-year-old was seen.
“The primary factor yesterday was the hazardous surf, with waves at four to six feet,” the source told The New York Daily News. “We had strong lateral and strong rip currents through the entire Venice area. Our lifeguards were making hundreds of rescues.”
Rescue workers continued to scour the area until around 7:30 p.m. when the search was called off.
Search efforts resumed Monday morning and we’ll update with any new information.
The Brooklyn native began his professional wrestling career on the WWE competition series Tough Enough 2 in 2002. After failing to win the competition, Gaspard would go on to become one half of the popular tag team Cryme Tyme with his partner JTG from 2006-07.
Prior to his work in the ring, Gaspard was a bodyguard for pop and hip hop stars such as Britney Spears, Diddy and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson.
When Gaspard was released from the WWE, he continued wrestling on the independent scene and pursued an acting career.
In December 2016, Gaspard made the news when he broke up an attempted robbery in a Coral Springs, Florida convenience store.
The Coral Springs Police Department told TMZ at the time that the suspect “appeared to be drunk” and approached Gaspard asking for him to buy him a beer. When Gaspard refused the suspect pulled out a weapon before the former wrestler disarmed the man.
Following the news of Shad Gaspard’s disappearance, many in the wrestling industry reacted to the news.
