(L.A.) Shad Gaspard, 39, Died at Venice Beach

Case Number: 2020-04452

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 39-year-old Black male.

The coroner’s office has identified the man as Shad Gaspard, resident of Marina del Rey.

Manner of Death: Accident

Cause of Death: Drowning

RIP SHAD GASPARD (January 13, 1981 – May 20, 2020)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Wednesday at 2:13 a.m.

Incident date: May 17, 2020

Reference location: west of Lifeguard Tower #26 on a beach in Venice, 90292

Map views only approximate location and do not indicate the precise spot where the incident happened.

Shad Gaspard was a professional wrestler and actor, best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under his real name or simply as Shad. Born on January 13, 1981, in Brooklyn, New York City, Gaspard was of Curaçaoan and Haitian descent.

It was on May 17, 2020, that Gaspard drowned at Venice Beach, while saving his 10-year-old son Aryeh from a strong rip current. He instructed lifeguards to save his son first before being swept away by a wave. His body was found on May 20, three days after the incident.