Missing Paralympian Sam Ruddock found safe in Las Vegas after attending WrestleMania

British Paralympian Sam Ruddock, who had been , has been found safe in Las Vegas. Ruddock, a 35 year old athlete, was reported missing since Thursday, April 24 after attending WrestleMania 41, as confirmed by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

His mother, Fran Ruddock, expressed her concern when the star went off the grid following the event. Friends of Sam Ruddock launched an urgent search for a man seen last with him before his phone ceased receiving messages.

Ruddock, a multi-discipline athlete for , posted numerous videos on his Instagram from Vegas before the disappearance, including footage of him heading down the Las Vegas Strip, mentioning a certain "Steve" and discussing his adventures in America before attending Wrestlemania.

Earlier, FOX5 was told by Fran that her son, who copes with cerebral palsy, was staying at a downtown Las Vegas motel, which retained possession of his personal items. British authorities were alerted about Ruddock's disappearance along with the UK .

Nonetheless, Las Vegas police delivered uplifting news on Monday, announcing that Sam Ruddock has been safely located , reports the . On Monday night, Sam's best friend of ten years Lucy Earl took to Instagram to share her happiness. "Sam is alive. Sam has been found," she wrote.

Then, addressing her followers, she posted a video. "I just want to confirm Sam is alive," she said, holding back tears. "Sam is alive. Sam is well. Let's get that boy home. Thank you so much to everybody."

Lucy previously said she had last heard from the 35 year old on Apil 16 - when he stayed with her the night before his flight. She said she contacted police and the hostel Ruddock was staying in, and was told he failed to check out or collect his belongings when he should have last week.

Speaking during the time of his disappearance, Lucy said: "Sam is very, very present on social media, he's such a passionate person about sports. He flew on the 13th, I've got confirmation that he landed, I absolutely know Sam was in Vegas. The concerning part is he went silent from the 16th and, because he is such a big presence on social media, people were quite fast to notice."

A spokesperson for British Cycling said at the time of his disappearance: "British Cycling understands that para-cyclist Sam Ruddock was reported missing to UK and US police and Interpol after not being heard from since Wednesday 16 April 2025, while visiting Las Vegas, USA. We urge anyone who has been in contact with Sam since 16 April or may have any information of his whereabouts to contact their local police department as soon as possible."

Lincolnshire police confirmed an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Ruddock, while a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson commented: "We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Las Vegas and are in contact with the local authorities."

British athlete Sam, who switched from sprinting in the 2012 Paralympics to shot put and bagged fifth place at the European Championships, made his mark again by taking home gold in the 1000km cycling time trial in Quentin en Yvelines, France, in 2022, and struck gold once more in Scotland in 2023.