Special Olympics athlete vanishes just hours after another found safe
LOS ANGELES -- A search is underway for a teenage Special Olympics athlete who vanished from Los Angeles International Airport early Monday, just hours after another missing competitor turned up safe 350 miles away in Northern California.
Shion Isimel, 15, of the Ivory Coast, was last seen around 6 a.m. walking out of a terminal, airport police spokesman Rob Pedregon said. A security camera photo showed the French-speaking teen, who competed in table tennis, wearing a black shirt with the words "Special Olympics."
Isimel had his passport with him, Pedregon said. A portion of his delegation had already left, but others were still in LA.
Earlier, an Albanian athlete who disappeared from the games turned up safe in a community on the east side of the San Francisco Bay.
The Special Olympics ended Sunday. Andi Gusmari, 44, came to the Hayward Police Department on his own around 2 a.m. Monday and used a lobby phone to contact a dispatcher, acting Lt. Guy Jakub said.
According to CBS Los Angeles, Gusmari walked into the precinct station because he was hungry, officials said.
Gusmari, who had identification with him, was safe and comfortable, but police were not able to communicate very well with him because of his speech disability, Jakub said.
Gusmari, a bowling competitor, disappeared from the University of Southern California sometime after 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
He apparently took a bus to Northern California, said Jeff Carr, chief operating officer of the Special Olympics World Games Organizing Committee.
"We are delighted that Andi is safe," Carr said in a statement.
The athlete's family members were notified, and he spoke to them, said Rich Perelman, a spokesman for the LA 2015 games.
The delegations are required to come with a ratio of one coach to four athletes, and the coaches are responsible for managing their participants, Carr said.
A Special Olympics staff member was sent to help Gusmari get back to Los Angeles and then to Albania.
Some 6,500 athletes from around the world took part in the Special Olympics, which used venues around the Los Angeles area.
The participants said goodbye Sunday in an emotional closing ceremony at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the centerpiece of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics.