Boy, 16, decapitated in horror shark attack while swimming and fishing alone

A teenage boy has been decapitated during a horrific shark attack after he went swimming off the coast of a popular tourist town.

Jahmari Reid, 16, had his head bitten off and left arm missing after taking a dip on Monday.

Divers recovered the teenager’s body on Tuesday, with Jamaican authorities stating his injuries were consistent with a shark attack.

Reid, who was from the northern parish of Trelawny, is thought to have gone spearfishing alone on Monday morning.

He headed out at around 6am and fishermen found his body just east of the popular tourist town of Montego Bay at 9am the following day.

The body was spotted floating in the water before police transferred his corpse to a morgue.

Michael Reid, the father of the 16-year-old, told the Jamaica Observer: “I can’t believe that he went to sea by himself yesterday and that was the outcome. Sad to know. I feel so bad.”

Robert Robinson, who was Reid’s fisherman uncle, shared his concern when the teen disappeared on Monday.

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Speaking to the Jamaica Star, Robinson said: “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.”

He added: “Next we saw a hand before we found the body all bitten up by shark.”

Describing her heartbreak, the boy’s mother Lavern Robinson said: “Right now I don’t know what to say.

“Jahmari has been going to sea from small. [He] just love it and [he] always goes out with [his] uncle. [He] was in grade 10 getting ready to go to grade 11.”

Audrey Steele, vice principal at William Knibb Memorial High School where Reid attended, described the youngster as “just a quiet boy”.

Sharks attacks remain incredibly rare, with just 69 confirmed unprovoked attacks reported worldwide last year.

A total of 14 people died during attacks in 2023, the Florida-based International Shark Attack File has revealed.

However, the number of confirmed unprovoked shark attacks reported in Jamaica stands at just three since 1749.