2nd Special Olympics athlete from Ivory Coast reported missing

A second Special Olympics athlete from Ivory Coast was reported missing on Tuesday, hours before he was scheduled to fly out of Los Angeles International Airport, authorities said.

Abidjan Ouattara, 24, was last seen about 11 p.m. Monday at the Adventurer Hotel in Inglewood where his team had been staying, according to the Inglewood Police Department.

After learning that Ouattara had left the hotel and had not returned, the coach of Ivory Coast’s team reported him missing about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, police said.

Ouattara speaks only French. Police said he has a physical impairment to his left hand and forearm. According to police, Ouattara was last seen in a white athletic jacket, white pants, sandals and a blue or orange T-shirt. He is not believed to have a cellphone or money.

Officials from the Special Olympics said that as of 11 p.m. Monday, all participants in the games were either taken to LAX or to hotels near the airport.

“As of last night, we no longer have any control over the delegations and they are making their own arrangements to stay further as visitors, or to go back to their home countries,” said Jeff Carr, chief operating officer of the LA2015 Games Organizing Committee.

In recent days, two other Special Olympics athletes disappeared but were later found unharmed.

Shion Isimel, a 15-year-old table tennis player from Ivory Coast, was found Monday in Inglewood after police say he walked away from a Delta Air Lines ticketing area at LAX.

Earlier, Special Olympics athlete Andi Gusmari, 44, a bowling competitor, was found in the Bay Area city of Hayward after he went missing Saturday.

The athletes were among 6,500 who competed in last week’s Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. The Games drew representatives from 165 countries.

Anyone with information about Ouattara is asked to contact the Inglewood Police Department at (310) 412-5240.

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