British Paralympian missing in Las Vegas for two weeks found safe
A British Paralympian has been found safe in Las Vegas, Nevada, after vanishing some two weeks ago.
Sam Ruddock, 35, travelled to the US on April 13 to attend a wrestling tournament.
His mother, Fran Ruddock, said he was watching WrestleMania 41 in Paradise.
But the gold medalist from Rugby, Warwickshire, was reported missing last Thursday.
Sam, who has represented Team GB in shot put, cycling and sprinting, has since been tracked down.
Las Vegas police told Metro: ‘A missing person report was filed on April 24, 2025.
‘Through the course of the investigation, the individual has been located safe.’
His friend, Lucy Earl, confirmed that Sam has been found on Instagram. She said that the athlete is ‘physically well’ and thanked people for sharing her missing person campaign.
‘Let’s get that boy home,’ the fitness trainer added in a video of herself laughing and smiling.
The British Foreign Office told Metro: ‘We are in touch with the local authorities in Las Vegas and stand ready to provide consular support.’
The ParalympicsGB athlete’s last known movement had been riding in an Austin-Healey sports car with an American man named ‘Steve’.
This was shown in a point-of-view video of the journey Sam posted on his Instagram channel on the day he went missing. He discussed hitchhiking and being dropped off at the Pawn Shop, where the reality TV show Pawn Stars is set.
Hours later, friends and family said all contact with Sam ended.
Staff at a hostel where he was staying, Bungalow Hostel, said he checked in on April 14 and had not checked out as he was meant to the following day. His belongings were in his room.
Chris Graves, who knows Sam, told Metro earlier today: ‘We just want to know that he’s safe, that’s the bottom line really.
‘There’s been no direct contact with him or any social media activity since April 16. There’s just so many options of what the situation could be that we just want to know he’s safe.’
Sam competed in the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games and has cerebral palsy.
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