Teen, 16, decapitated by shark off Jamaica coast while spearfishing

Jahmari Reid Jamaican teen spearfishing alone in Trelawny decapitated in rare shark attack as officials offer plausible reason for why the boy was targeted. 

A 16 year old Jamaican teen has died after he was decapitated by a ‘vicious’ shark while spearfishing in the Caribbean ocean.

Jahmari Reid left home early Monday to go spearfishing alone in Trelawny, a northern parish about 20 miles east of Montego Bay, a popular tourist destination, CBS News reported.

Reid according to his family failed to return home later that day, with the teen’s whereabouts a mystery… until Tuesday morning.

Boy’s father often discouraged son’s passion for spearfishing

A group of local fishermen spotted the boy’s missing ‘decapitated’ body in the water with injuries consistent with a shark attack. According to the Jamaica Star, Jahmari’s head and left hand were bitten off by the shark.

Robert Robinson, Jahmari’s uncle and a fisherman, said the family began to ‘grow concerned’ when his nephew failed to return from the sea at his ‘usual time,’ organizing a search party in an effort to locate him.

The boy’s father, Michael Reid, was present on the beach when his son’s body was brought ashore.

The retired taxi operator expressed shock at the events, telling the Jamaica Observer, ‘I can’t believe that he went to sea by himself and that was the outcome. Sad to know. I feel so bad.’

The former cabbie said he often discouraged his son from his spearfishing hobby.

‘It is something that we argue about, we fight about. He’s not doing it for a worthy cause, he’s not doing it for needs or anything. It is what it is still. Can you believe it?’ the distressed father told the Jamaica Observer.

Theory over rare shark attack

Local fishermen told the outlet of divers observing a massive tiger shark in the water near where the boy’s mutilated body was found.

President of Falmouth Fisherfolks Benevolent Society, Fritz Christie said this was the first time in recent history that a shark has been said to have killed anyone in the Trelawny waters. He said it is being theorised that the shark followed a cruise vessel into the Falmouth waters.

Leading up to his death, Reid was a ‘quiet’ tenth grader at William Knibb Memorial High School in Falmouth, Jamaica.

Audrey Steele, vice principal at William Knibb, said the youngster was ‘just a quiet boy.’

‘He has never been before me for any disciplinary problem,’ she told the Jamaica Star.

Susan, a vendor at the Village remembers the teen as a quiet youngster. ‘Him just quiet and sell him fish and watch dem fisherman dem play domino. Him never fuss with anybody.’

Shark attacks are rare, with a total of 69 confirmed unprovoked attacks worldwide and 14 fatalities reported last year, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.

Since 1749, only three unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in Jamaica, according to the file, which is administered by the Florida Museum of Natural History and the American Elasmobranch Society.

The Trelawny Police Division continue to investigate Monday’s tragedy.