A body which washed ashore in Venice Beach in the early hours of Wednesday morning matched the description of former WWE Superstar Shad Gaspard, said a Los Angeles County Lifeguards spokesman while addressing reporters.
“The individual who was seen on the beach this morning was an African-American male, approximately 6’6″, over 240 pounds, so it matched the description of the missing swimmer,” he said.
The body turned up three days after Gaspard went missing while swimming with his family. An LAPD spokesman giving a press conference in the early hours of Wednesday said that two adults were walking on the beach at around 1:30AM and due to the low tide at that time they were able to spot the body in the sand. The discovery was made about halfway between the Venice Beach pier and the lifeguard headquarters, less than a mile away from where Gaspard was last seen.
Family members arrived at the scene around an hour after the announcement was made looking for answers. LAPD refused to identify the body at the scene saying it’s too early for that. The Coroner’s office took over the investigation.
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its rescue operation yesterday after 16-and-a-half hours of searching with multiple rescue assets covering 70 square nautical miles and seven search patterns. The LAPD however continued its search, enlisting the help of the public in an effort to locate the body.
UPDATE: officials confirm description of pro wrestler Shad Gaspard matches that of the body discovered after washing up on shore in Venice Beach. @FOXLA @GDLA @LACoLifeguards 💔 pic.twitter.com/1EGKkglcNf
— Mario Ramirez (@MarioFOXLA) May 20, 2020
Family members showing up at Venice Beach after a body washes up on shore, almost 3 days and less than a mile away from the spot where former @WWE wrestling star Shad Gaspard went missing in the water. @FOXLA @GDLA @LAPDHQ 🙏🏽💔 pic.twitter.com/Xorpas4reW
— Mario Ramirez (@MarioFOXLA) May 20, 2020
