The body of former World Wrestling Entertainment star Shad Gaspard was found on Venice Beach early Wednesday morning, police said. He had been caught in a rip current last weekend while saving the life of his 10-year-old son, Aryeh.
He was 39.
The lifeguard on duty tried to deliver a buoy-like device to help bring the swimmers to shore. However, the waves were too strong so the boy couldn’t secure it.
This left the lifeguard with an extremely difficult decision. One that Gaspard wouldn’t let the lifeguard make.
”Take my son, ” said Gaspard.
The boy was returned to shore in less than three minutes and was physically unharmed but visibly distraught.
Aryeh, along with several other swimmers, were rescued.
Gaspard was approximately 50 yards away from the shore when a lifeguard last saw him. As the lifeguard turned back to try to save Gaspard a wave pushed him under the impact zone and he was swept out to sea.
According to a police department statement, patrol officers were alerted around that a body had washed ashore around 1:25 A.M. The body was identified as Gaspard’s, and his family was notified, police said.
Gaspard’s wife, Siliana, released a statement on Tuesday, thanking authorities as well as her husband’s fans.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the first responders who rescued Aryeh and to the lifeguards, coast guard, divers, fire and police departments for their continued efforts to help find our beloved Shad,” the statement said.
“Shad is a fighter, a warrior, and a magical soul,” Siliana Gaspard wrote Tuesday.
Gaspard was most known for his role in the tag-team group Cryme Time with his partner, JTG.
Gaspard retired from WWE in 2010 and appeared in small roles on TV and in movies, most notably the Kevin Hart comedy “Get Hard” in 2015.
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