Latest news with #BritishParalympian
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
British Paralympian missing in Las Vegas: Reports
(NewsNation) — A British Paralympian has been reported missing in Las Vegas, according to reports. The Guardian reported that 35-year-old Sam Ruddock, from Warwickshire — a ceremonial county in England — has cerebral palsy and competed in shot put and cycling. He traveled to the United States on April 13 to attend WrestleMania, according to the BBC. Community worries for missing woman last seen over a week ago in Denver His friend Lucy Hatton has allegedly been friends with Ruddock for over 10 years and said he stayed with her the night before his flight. She hasn't heard from him since April 16. According to The Guardian, Ruddock has been reported missing to the police in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Hatton said he is a 'big character with lots of energy,' and 'Sam is very, very present on social media; he's such a passionate person about sports.' Hatton also said that she knows for a fact that Ruddock 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.' Ruddock's last post on Instagram was April 16. Hatton has launched a social media campaign to gather more information about his disappearance. She also told the BBC that his disappearance was 'really, really out of character.' She said that he had not 'been in quite the right headspace' as of late. Ruddock's mother, Fran Ruddock, told the BBC that she would normally speak to her son every single day. She asked that if there is anyone who might know him in the U.K. or the U.S. to get in contact with information. Search continues for missing elderly couple in Southern California She said, 'Anything at all to piece together the gaps.' Ruddock's mother called the police and spoke with the hostel he was staying in, the BBC reported, and was told he never checked out or took his belongings. According to People, Ruddock competed in the Paralympic Games in 2012 and 2016. A spokesperson for British Cycling commented on Ruddock's disappearance. The statement said: '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.' Body of missing Princeton student Lauren Blackburn found at lake Police in Lincolnshire — another ceremonial county in England — have confirmed that it is working on an active missing person investigation for Ruddock. A spokesperson with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said, 'We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Las Vegas and are in contact with the local authorities.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paralympian missing in Las Vegas found
A British Paralympian who went missing in Las Vegas has been found safe, police in the USA have confirmed. Sam Ruddock, from Rugby in Warwickshire, was reported missing by friends and family after he was last heard from on 16 April. He had travelled to the US on 13 April to watch a Wrestlemania event, with his disappearance reported to Las Vegas police on 24 April. A statement from the force said Ruddock, who has competed in shot put, cycling and sprinting, had been "located safe". His friend Lucy Hatton had described his disappearance as "really, really out of character" and that she and his family were desperate for information. Posting on social media on Monday evening, she celebrated that he had been found. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. British Paralympian reported missing in Las Vegas Paralympics GB British Cycling
Metro
28-04-2025
- Metro
Boat flips in air at over 200mph in failed attempt to break speed record
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A speedboat going at more than 200mph aiming to break a record launched into the air unexpectedly as the stunt went awry. Video recorded from Lake Havasu in Nevada showed the 10,000-horsepower Skater 388 blazing the surface leaving a trail of white water, when it suddenly became airborne. The speedboat made two 360-degree flips before plunging nose first back into the lake and creating a massive splash. 'Holy f***,' a person can be heard saying in the background numerous times. Someone else reacted by saying: 'S***.' The terrifying incident happened at the Desert Storm Shootout boating event on Saturday. Flips in the air ended with the boat 'fortunately landing upright', according to Speedboat Magazine. 'After several tense moments, both driver and throttleman emerged from the closed canopied cockpit, uninjured but are being taken to the hospital for further examination,' stated the magazine in a Facebook post. The Freedom One Racing members were 'OK and not seriously injured', it reported. Another clip shared on social media showed a Mohave County Sheriff's Office vessel with its lights activated approaching the shore, presumably with the rescued boaters on board. The racers have not revealed their real identities and go by John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. Both are from Kansas City, Missouri. A competitor in the shootout, Jeff Clark, called the incident 'horrendous'. 'My heart dropped when I saw that boat get airborne,' he told FOX 10 Phoenix. 'It's never something you want to look at when you're out having fun as a driver for sure.' More Trending Clark credited their survival to the vessel being built to withstand great impacts and not falling apart during the crash. 'So when they were sitting in that cockpit and when you look at pictures of the boats, it's totally destroyed but the cockpit is in perfect condition,' he said. 'I tip my hat to Skater and the crew that built that boat because it saved that guy's life, it saved both of their lives, there's no doubt about it.' It happened a day before a ferry was struck by a boat by the Memorial Causeway Bridge in Clearwater, Florida, and one person died and several were hurt. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man busted for 'having sex with a dead body' on a train MORE: British Paralympian missing in Las Vegas for two weeks found safe MORE: Friend's heartfelt appeal to British Paralympian missing in Las Vegas for two weeks
Metro
28-04-2025
- Metro
Man busted for 'having sex with a dead body' on a train
A man allegedly raped a corpse while riding a New York City subway train. Felix Rojas, 44, was arrested on Sunday more than two weeks after the horrifying incident on the R train. Rojas is accused of entering the train at the Whitehall Street-South Ferry station on April 9 around 11pm and riding for roughly 45 minutes before spotting an unconscious man inside, said the New York Police Department. After going through the man's pockets, Rojas allegedly had sex with the corpse, according to an internal NYPD document obtained by The New York Times. Rojas fled the train after the incident, all of which was captured on CCTV footage. The victim had boarded the train around 8pm the same day and died of natural causes, a law enforcement official told the newspaper. Cops released photos of the suspect showing him wearing a dark jacket over a yellow hoodie and a Los Angeles Dodgers hat, and engaged in a manhunt. Rojas, of Brooklyn, who was taken into custody at 9.20pm on Sunday. A source told the New York Post that he turned himself in. Rojas has been charged with first-degree rape. He did not have a criminal history and was not in the state registry for sex offenders, public records show. He was expected to be arraigned on Monday. More Trending The victim has been identified as Jorge Gonzalez, 37, the Post reported. His estranged wife reportedly said he struggled with cirrhosis and alcohol consumption. Rojas' former neighbor, Angie Sofikitis, 77, said he and his family with three children attended church and that he lived at and did maintenance at the building next door to her home. She also told The Times that he had moved out about a year ago. It is the latest concerning incident on the city's subway system, which has continued to see violence and leave some New Yorkers fearing for their safety despite NYPD finding that crime rates reached a record low in the first three months of 2025. In December, a woman was burned alive on an F train car by a 33-year-old migrant from Guatemala. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: British Paralympian missing in Las Vegas for two weeks found safe MORE: Friend's heartfelt appeal to British Paralympian missing in Las Vegas for two weeks MORE: Meghan shares sweet video of Princess Lilibet's American accent for first time
Metro
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Friend's heartfelt appeal to British Paralympian missing in Las Vegas
A close friend of British Paralympian Sam Ruddock has said the athlete's friends and family have 'no clues, no indication' of his whereabouts after he went missing on a trip to Las Vegas 13 days ago. Chris Graves joined an appeal for anyone with information about the runner, cyclist and shot putter, who has cerebral palsy, to get in touch, saying any tip could make a 'massive' difference. The operations manager of school sports charity +Inspire has been a close friend and colleague of Sam's for more than 12 years. The 35-year-old athlete from Rugby, Warwickshire, travelled to the US on April 13 planning to attend the WWE WrestleMania event, which took place over two nights at the Allegiant Stadium in Vegas the following weekend, and was last heard of three days after arriving. Chris said: 'Sam has been struggling with his mental health so it's just very concerning that he's out there on his own. '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.' The ParalympicsGB athlete's last known movement was riding in an Austin-Healey sports car with an American man named Steve he seemed to have just met, with a point-of-view video of the journey posted on his Instagram channel on the day he went missing. Staff at a hostel where he was staying said he had not checked out and has left his belongings in his room. In the video, Steve asks Sam how long he's been in the US, to which he replies 'three days' and indicates he might stay longer, before going on to say he has never been to Vegas before. The charity ambassador appears to have hitchhiked with the driver, who drove him along the strip before dropping him off at the famous Silver and Gold pawn shop in Vegas, home of the TV show 'Pawn Stars.' The athlete had originally wanted to go to 'Fremont' — presumably the city's famous Fremont Street — until the driver recommended the pawnbroker's shop, saying he had a friend there. As the pair get out of the car outside the store, Sam, who appears excitable and upbeat, ends the video so he can speak to Steve. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Chris told Metro: 'That's the last post and it's been reported and shared with the relevant authorities in Las Vegas, so we're hoping that the driver of that car can be found just to see what he may or may not know. 'He's the last person that we're all aware of who has physically seen Sam. 'The pawn broker's shop in Las Vegas has been contacted to see if they know anything but at present we have no clues and no indication as to where Sam might be. 'Anybody with any sighting, any help or any intel would just be massive.' Sam, who is father to a two-year-old son and has a baby on the way, made his international debut at London 2012, running in the 100m and 200m T35 heats, a disability sport classification. He then switched to shot put ahead of Rio 2016, where he finished sixth in the F35 category. The Paralympian then focused on cycling and became World Champion at the C1 1km Time Trial in 2022, for athletes with physical impairments, and defended his title a year later. Away from the competitive arena, Sam has been a big hit in schools where he has encouraged young people to take up sport. He has also written first-person pieces for Metro, including how he has 'realised the responsibility I now have to all my fellow brothers and sisters with cerebral palsy, to represent them and be an ambassador.' 'Sam's a lovely guy, he's a very bubbly, outgoing character and always has time to speak to everybody and anybody,' Chris said. 'He is always interested in what you have to say about whatever it might be, he's someone who has very strong beliefs but would always welcome and recognise other people's beliefs as well. 'He wants to be everyone's friend and will help anyone when he can.' Appealing to Sam directly, Chris said: 'We just want Sam to know he is so loved by so many family and friends, and in a professional sense the teachers and children all adore him. He has been an inspiration over the years to thousands of young people and adults. 'We want nothing more than to know he is safe, that is it.' In a statement, +Inspire said: 'We are deeply concerned and saddened to hear that longtime Inspire+ Ambassador and friend of the charity Sam Ruddock has been reported missing. 'Sam was last heard from on April 16 and was on holiday visiting a WrestleMania event in Las Vegas. 'As a valued member of Inspire+, we know this news is being felt by many, we are doing everything we can to support friends, family and staff and school communities who have been affected by this news.' Chris also posted on Facebook: 'Sam has been a very close friend & colleague of mine for over 12 years. 'If you're able to share these posters or send to anyone in the US please do 'Sam is currently unwell with his mental health, his family & family just want to know he's safe.' A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson confirmed there is an active missing persons investigation. More Trending A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Las Vegas and are in contact with the local authorities.' Anyone who has information about Sam's whereabouts is asked to contact the Las Vegas Police Department or Lincolnshire Police via 101 quoting incident number 0169-25.04.25. *For help and information around missing people and the related issues please visit the Missing People charity's website Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact MORE: Parents will 'never give up hope' for son as they unveil garden for missing people MORE: Families of missing Black people say loved ones are 'ignored and criminalised' MORE: 'Tragedy' of missing Black people has hidden legacy going back a decade
