LIFE CUT SHORT
THE body of former Word Wrestling Entertainment star Shad Gaspard was found on Venice Beach in Los Angeles early Wednesday.
Gaspard, who was 39, had been caught in a rip current over the weekend.
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His 10-year-old son and others made it to shore safely.
Here's more on the beloved wrestler and his tragic death.
Who was Shad Gaspard, former WWE superstar?
Gaspard gained fame in the WWE as one half of the tag-team Cryme Time, along with partner JTG, Jayson Anthony Paul.
"He spent half of his life with him, in wrestling, they call each other brothers, so he's really shaken up," Jayson's mother Carol Paul told The Sun.
"They wrestled together, they traveled together, they worked out together, they did almost everything together."
He retired in 2010 and has had small roles on the big and small screen, including the 2015 Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard.
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The former pro wrestler also served as a bodyguard to celebrities such as Britney Spears, Puff Daddy and Mike Tyson.
The Brooklyn-born Gaspard was 6-foot-6 and weighed nearly 300 pounds.
Gaspard is survived by his wife Siliana and his 10-year-old son.
Actor and wrestling legend Dwayne The Rock Johnson posted a touching tribute to Gaspard.
“My prayers and hope for Shad Gaspard's wife, son and family during this unthinkable time," he wrote.
“Man, this is a tough one. A really tough one. Great guy.”
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When did Shad Gaspard go missing at Venice beach?
Gaspard went missing on Sunday after he went swimming with his son, Aryeh.
He was about 50 yards from shore when he was last spotted by a lifeguard.
A wave crashed over him and he was swept out to sea.
Cops were notified that a body had washed ashore at about 1:25 am on Wednesday.
The body was identified and his family was notified.
“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,” read a statement from his wife.
What's the latest news?
it is believed that Gaspard sacrificed himself to save his son by instructing lifeguards to rescue the child.
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"That group was stuck in one of the rip currents and were swimming just north of the lifeguard tower," lifeguard specialist Pono Barnes of the LA Fire Department told KABC.
"That's why lifeguards were able to get there so soon, but unfortunately, one did, however, submerge."
Gaspard posted a touching video with his son at the beach just last week - just days before the wrestler disappeared.