Shad Gaspard's Wife Issues Statement On Behalf Of His Family
Siliana Gaspard took to Instagram this afternoon and issued a statement on her husband Shad Gaspard.
Siliana thanked the first responders for rescuing her 10 year old son Aryeh on Sunday, and thanked the other officials for searching for Shad since then.
"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," Siliana wrote. "Shad is a fighter, a warrior and a magical soul. We are hoping and praying for his safe return. As a family we thank you all for your concern and well wishes. Please continue to keep sending your positivity and prayers to our beloved Shad. – From The Entire Gaspard & Chittick Family"
As noted earlier today, the United States Coast Guard has suspended the search for the 39 year old Gaspard. There was at least one boat still searching this morning, but it was noted that the chances of finding the former WWE Superstar were fading fast. It was also reported that the case will not be closed until authorities find Gaspard, who is still considered a missing person, but the search efforts have been drastically scaled back.
Shad went missing in the ocean on Sunday while swimming with his son at around 4pm local time. Lifeguards hit the water to rescue them when they were around 700 feet from shore, caught in a strong rip current. Shad instructed the lifeguards to rescue his son first, and they did, which saved his son's life. A large wave reportedly then crashed down on Shad, and he went under, and hasn't been seen since. Authorities spent several hours searching for Shad on Sunday, until sundown, and the search resumed at 7am local time on Monday. Authorities fought choppy water and rainy weather on Monday, continuing the search with boats, divers, helicopters and sonar equipment. Shad's wife and son reportedly remained on the beach the whole time, and were receiving support from locals who live right there where the incident happened.
The statement above was also posted to Shad's official Instagram account, and sent out to several pro wrestlers for re-posting. You can see Siliana's full IG post below: