Shark decapitates teen off Jamaica coast

A 16-year-old boy was brutally attacked by a shark while swimming alone off the coast of Jamaica, authorities said, in an extremely rare attack for the Caribbean island.

Divers found the headless body of Jahmari Reid on Tuesday morning, a day after he disappeared during a solo spearfishing trip near the popular tourist city of Montego Bay.

The teen’s left arm was also missing, and the rest of his body was badly disfigured, according to witnesses. He told the Jamaica Observer:

“I can’t believe he went into the sea alone yesterday and this is the result,” Jahmarie’s father, Michael Reid, told the local newspaper. “It’s sad to know. I feel so bad.”

A tiger shark was spotted roaming the tropical waters where the severed arm was found, leading rescue teams to suspect the predatory shark was the culprit.

One witness said divers and fishermen tried to shoot the “big shark” but missed. The crew hoped to retrieve the missing head of the shark from the fish’s stomach before it was too late.

The high school student was spearfishing alone early Monday morning when the tragedy occurred, police said.

Al-Jahmari was an avid spearfisherman despite his grieving father’s constant pleas not to take up the water sport.

“It’s something we disagree on, we fight about. He’s not doing it for a worthy cause, he’s not doing it to meet a need or anything like that. He’s still the same. Can you believe that?” Michael Reed said.

Experts suspect the cannibal was following a cruise ship when he spotted the teen.

“What we have to do is make sure that the ships coming in have to be careful not to dive. The fish eats the man’s head, eats one of his hands. [sic]”It’s crazy, man,” said Fritz Christie, president of the Falmouth Fisher Folks Charitable Society.

Shark attacks in Jamaica are extremely rare.

Since 1749, only three unprovoked shark attacks have been reported near the island nation, according to International Florida Shark Attack File.

with mail wires