As Louisiana high school grad Cameron Robbins jumped from a party boat and then vanished beneath the shark-infested waters in the Bahamas, someone from the boat yelled, "Bye, bye!" according to a haunting new video. Robbins is believed to have been killed by a shark after he mysteriously disappeared after jumping into the water.
The 18-year-old from Baton Rouge jumped overboard from a party boat that was made to look like a pirate ship on May 24 while on a sunset cruise with several hundred other graduates, apparently on a dare. An extensive search was launched for the teen but was called off two days later after his family visited the area.
Haunting Last Words
In the chilling video that has since gone viral on social media, the teen baseball star is seen swimming away from a life preserver that is bobbing close to him in the dark waters as someone yells, "This kid f-king jumped off! Oh my f*cking God! Oh, shut the f**k up! Oh, bye-bye!"
In the video, terrified onlookers on the ship can be heard screaming for Robbins to "grab the buoy," but the teenager can be seen swimming in the opposite direction, possibly coming into contact with a shark.
A white shadowy image can be seen in the video on the left side of the screen, but the image is too hazy and frenetic to tell what it is.
The Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) Commodore Raymond King provided an update on Tuesday and said that the region where Robbins went overboard is "really shark-infested."
"The video doesn't lie, he was attacked by a shark and taken under," one person wrote on social media.
Social media users speculated that Robbins was bitten by one of the predators, possibly a shark, the moment the person on the boat shouted, "Bye, bye!"
The final moments of Robbins captured in the TikTok video have now been watched by more than 10 million people. Web sleuths have attempted to explain what happened by speeding up and brightening the video, but their efforts have ultimately failed.
The US Coast Guard spent days hunting for Robbins or his belongings before the search was called off.
"We offer our sincerest condolences to Cameron Robbins' family and friends," said Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Spado, Coast Guard liaison officer to the Bahamas.
Mystery Never to be Solved
The Bahamas is known for highly aggressive sharks, such as tiger and bull sharks, which often attack tourists.
Witnesses claimed Robbins was acting on a dare when he went overboard at 11.30 p.m. from the Blackbeard's Revenge sunset cruise ship.
According to Trascher, search teams always spend at least 48 hours scouring the seas for any indication of the person they are looking for.
"Had they found a piece of clothing or any kind of clue, that would cause them to extend that 48-hour period, but if they don't get any kind of indication, then that's usually when they call it off," he reportedly said.
Robbins was traveling to the Bahamas with students from a number of nearby high schools. They were staying at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort in Nassau, WAFB reported. On Wednesday evening, Robbins and his friends went on a sunset party cruise, just four hours after they arrived.
Robbins was a sportsman par excellence. His younger sister is a junior at the school. "He's an athlete, great kid, great smile, great head of hair," George told the station WBRZ.
"Just one of the kids you're so proud of when they cross the stage."
Photos posted to his social media pages show his passion for baseball and his coach's description of him as a "fierce competitor."
"Cameron is a kid who is truly loved by his teammates, teachers, and fellow classmates," U-High baseball coach Justin Morgan said.
"He is a fierce competitor on the baseball field. He is a hard worker both on and off of the playing field.
"Our school community is struggling right now but hoping for the very best.
"Our thoughts and prayers have been and will remain with the Robbins family during this difficult time."
In a statement issued on behalf of the institution, the principal expressed the community's prayers for Robbins' safe return.
"I have been in touch with Cameron's family and at this time, authorities are still searching for him in the Bahamas," George wrote.
"In times like these, we must come together and support each other. Words fall short of expressing the worry our entire school community is feeling."
