Marc Izard, 43, vanished while at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas last week, his devastated sister has now confirmed he has passed away but says she finds some comfort knowing “he passed doing what he loved so much”
A British wrestling fan has been found dead after he reportedly vanished while attending WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, his devastated family have confirmed.
Marc Izard, 43, was last seen watching SmackDown at the T-Mobile Arena on April 17. Alarm was first raised when Marc failed to board his return flight to the UK. In the hours that followed, a desperate online appeal was launched to trace his whereabouts. The post quickly gained traction, racking up more than a million views and being shared by WWE star Natalya.
In an email to PEOPLE on Tuesday, April 28, the Clark County Coroner confirmed that Marc died on April 18 at 1731 S. Las Vegas Boulevard. The coroner’s office have not yet revealed his cause of death.
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Marc’s sister Kelly has shared a heartbreaking statement on Facebook following his death. She wrote: “Were devestated to have to let everyone know that marc passed away in Las vegas on 18th April in the early evening. He passed away quickly from natural causes related to his underlying medical conditions. Although we are obviously devestated at our loss , we are at some comfort knowing he passed doing what he loved so much.
“We are working on bringing his body home to say a proper goodbye, and we will of course make sure his absoulete love of wrestling is honoured at his funeral. We want to say a masisve thank you to everyone that knew marc both personally , and his wider wrestling family for their huge help and support over the last week in helping us trying to find him.
“Sadly we didnt get chance to personally let everyone know before the news was released to the world, whilst we are eternally grateful for so much support in spreading news to help find him we ask kindly you respect our privacy to grieve at this most difficult time. Love you so much marc.”
Natalya, the daughter of WWE icon Jim Neidhart, shared an appeal to help find Marc earlier in the search. She wrote: “A member of our wrestling family, Marc Izard, is currently missing after WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas. His last known sighting was leaving the arena after SmackDown on April 17.
“His last photo was taken with me at my signing. Marc travelled from the UK and has not made it home or been in contact since. If you have any information, please reach out to the email listed in the poster as well as @LVMPD. Let’s come together and help bring Marc home safely.”
Kelly created a GoFundMe to raise money to bring her brother’s remains back to the U.K. and to cover funeral arrangements.
A message on the page reads: “Marc wasn’t just a spectator; he was a staple of the wrestling community. From his childhood days to his travels across the globe, Marc’s life was defined by his passion for the ring. Whether it was supporting local independent promotions or traveling for the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All,’ Marc lived for the energy, the stories, and the idols he met along the way.”
She added: “The Heart of a Superfan Marc spent his life following the sport that inspired him. He was a familiar face to many in the indie scene and a dedicated WWE fan who cherished every moment spent ringside. Tragically, after attending Friday Night SmackDown, Marc’s journey came to an unexpected end.”
The UK Foreign Office confirmed to The Sun that they are “supporting the family of a British man who has died in Las Vegas and are in contact with the local authorities.”
You can donate to the fundraiser by clicking here.
