A 16-year-old boy, Jahmari Reid, has tragically lost his life in a horrific shark attack while swimming off the coast of Jamaica. The Jamaican high school student’s body was recovered by divers with his head bitten off and his left arm missing, confirming the devastating nature of the attack.
Authorities identified Jahmari as the victim, hailing from the northern parish of Trelawny, just east of the well-known tourist destination Montego Bay. According to reports, Jahmari had gone spearfishing alone early Monday morning, and his body was discovered the following day by local fishermen in waters just north of the island. The injuries were consistent with a shark attack, as confirmed by the police report late Tuesday.
The tragic sequence of events began around 6 a.m. on Monday when Jahmari set out to sea. It wasn’t until the next day, around 9 a.m., that fishermen spotted his lifeless body floating in the water and promptly alerted the authorities. His father, Michael Reid, expressed his grief, saying, “I can’t believe that he went to sea by himself yesterday and that was the outcome. Sad to know. I feel so bad.”
Jahmari’s uncle, Robert Robinson, a fisherman, recounted the horrifying discovery. “When he did not return at his usual time, we got concerned. A search party was arranged. The first thing we saw was his head bitten all up and chopped off his body,” Robinson told the Jamaica Star. “Next, we saw a hand before we found the body all bitten up by shark.”
Jahmari’s mother, Lavern Robinson, shared her heartbreak, struggling to find the words to describe her loss. “Right now I don’t know what to say. Jahmari has been going to sea from small. He just loved it and always went out with his uncle. He was in grade 10, getting ready to go to grade 11,” she said, breaking down in tears.
Audrey Steele, the vice principal at William Knibb Memorial High School, where Jahmari was a student, described him as “just a quiet boy,” adding to the sorrow felt by those who knew him.
Shark attacks in Jamaica are extremely rare, with only three unprovoked incidents reported since 1749, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File. Globally, 69 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks were recorded last year, with 14 fatalities, making this tragedy an uncommon but devastating occurrence.