A 16-year-old boy was brutally mauled by a shark while swimming alone off a Jamaican beach, authorities said, marking an extremely rare attack on the Caribbean island.
Divers on Tuesday morning found the decapitated body of Jahmari Reed, who went missing during a solo spearfishing trip near the popular tourist town of Montego Bay.
The teenager’s left arm was also missing and the rest of his body was badly mutilated, witnesses said told the Jamaica Observer.
“I can’t believe he went out to sea alone yesterday and that was the result. Sorry to know. I feel so bad,” Jahmari’s heartbroken father, Michael Reed, told a local outlet.
Jahmari’s severed arm was spotted in tropical waters being chased by a tiger shark, leading rescuers to suspect a marine predator was the culprit.
Divers and fishermen tried to shoot the “huge shark” but missed, a witness said. The crew hoped to retrieve Jahmari’s missing head from the fish’s stomach before too long.
The high school student was fishing alone early Monday morning when the tragedy happened, police said.
Jahmari was an avid spearman despite his grieving father’s constant pleas against water sports.
“It’s what we’re arguing about, fighting about. He didn’t do it for a worthy cause, out of necessity or anything. That’s still the case. Can you believe it?” Michael Reid said.
Experts suspect the maneater was following a cruise ship when it spotted the teenager.
“What we need to do is make sure that ships are careful when diving. A shark eats a man’s head, eats one of his arms. [sic]. It’s crazy, man,” said Fritz Christie, president of the Falmouth Fisherfolks Benevolent Society.
Shark attacks are extremely rare in Jamaica.
Since 1749, only three unprovoked shark attacks have been reported near the island nation. Florida-based International Shark Attack File.
with post wires
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