Was Cameron Robbins killed by a shark after he jumped off a party board? Was his body not found because a shark ate him up? A shadowy image captured in the waters surrounding the area where the Louisiana baseball star who leaped off a party boat has sparked speculation that the teen was swimming away from a shark.
Robbins, 18, jumped off the Blackbeard's Revenge sunset cruise ship while celebrating his high school graduation last Wednesday at Athol Island in the Bahamas. The search for the missing teen was called off two days later. It is now being speculated that Robbins was killed by a shark after he jumped into the water.
What Happened to Robbins?
In the video, Robbins can be seen swimming in the water while a life jacket is thrown his way and his classmates ask him to grab on. However, the teen appeared to be fixated on a shadowy creature that emerges in the water and starts swimming right away.
The new footage has sparked speculation on social media that Robbins may have perished after being chased by a shark. According to some, a shark is visible in the footage.
The Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) Commodore Raymond King provided an update yesterday and said that the region where Robbins went overboard is "really shark infested."
This has further strengthened the claims.
"The video doesn't lie, he was attacked by a shark and taken under," one person wrote on social media.
Another user said that the shark can be spotted to the "left of the video" while another was adamant they "saw the fin" in the short video.
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.
He was last seen splashing in the sea before disappearing. Police launched a search operation but called it after two days. The video captures Robbins splashing in the deep ocean without a life jacket and wearing only swim trunks as several of his friends are in shock and others are screaming in hysteria.
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.
The chilling new video shows Robbins jumping into the deep ocean and then disappearing. "This kid f****** jumped off!" said one person.
The ship was close to Athol Island an uninhabited island northeast of Nassau when Robbins jumped into the water.
The boat, which was made to look like a pirate ship, stayed in the region for a while as the crew searched for the teenager.
Dangerous Dare
After Robbins had jumped, the boat and its crew members tried to locate him along with multiple agencies, including the US Coast Guard. Following the suspension of the search last week, Cmdre King gave an update on the situation on Monday.
"The probability of survival decreases significantly particularly if a person did not have on a life vest and particularly if a person is perceived to be intoxicated," he said, adding, "I can tell you that area where an individual reportedly jumped over, it's an area that is really shark infested as well. It is so unfortunate but I don't want the family to lose hope."
The US Coast Guard District Seven sent out a number of search and rescue operations after requesting help from its partners in the Royal Bahamas Defense Force. They planned and scoured an area of 325 square miles in an effort to find the young man.
"Our Coast Guard command center and aircrews based in Miami supported RBDF search and rescue efforts since the initial report Wednesday evening, and continued through Friday evening," a statement from the US Coast Guard reads.
"We were informed by the RBDF this evening that they were suspending the active search efforts pending further developments, and were not requesting further Coast Guard assistance after notifying the Robbins family."
"We offer our sincerest condolences to Cameron Robbins' family and friends."
Robbins' parents arrived in the Bahamas on Thursday, the same day that their son's resort had a prayer vigil. The same day, a different prayer circle for Robbins was conducted in front of his old school in Baton Rouge.
He 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."
