A video shows a passerby shouted a spooky “bye” to teenager Cameron Robbins after he jumped into shark-infested waters in the Bahamas and disappeared.
Robbins, 18, went missing on May 24 after jumping off the Blackbeard’s Revenge party boat during a high school graduation trip off the uninhabited Athol Island. The search was called off two days later with no trace of the missing teenager.
Video from the party boat shows the high school baseball star already in the water as an indistinct white shape, possibly a shark, moves in the water nearby.
The crowd aboard the boat screams as a man is heard yelling, “That damn boy jumped off!” Oh my damn god! Oh shut up! Oh, bye, bye!’
“Hey, grab that buoy!” yells another person, referring to a lifebuoy in the water. The video ends as Robbins swims away from the lifebelt.
Cameron Robbins went missing in shark-infested waters on May 24. He was a standout baseball player at University Laboratory High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Meanwhile, the Louisiana teenager’s family paid tribute to his life in an obituary after visiting the scene of his disappearance.
In the online obituary, his family paid tribute to their “beloved grandson, son, brother and friend,” who “recently graduated from high school at University Lab School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.”
The tribute states that Robbins was adopted shortly after his birth in November 2004 and went on to “enter every competitive activity he could find and dominate numerous YMCA and preschool church league leagues.”
It states, “He eventually chose baseball as his first love.” […] He was a tough player, recovering from multiple injuries and known for performing through severed shoulders and broken hands. He hoped to continue his baseball career at the college level.
His family says he recently returned from a weekend fishing trip on the Louisiana Gulf Coast with his father and brother before heading to the Bahamas for his graduation ceremonies.
In addition to being sports lovers, his family wrote, “He loved his truck and country music and was always a big star in the showers and with karaoke machines.”
“He was also an avid LSU fan and regularly attended football, basketball, and baseball games.” After all, he loved anything edible, especially his mother’s red beans and his grandmother’s spaghetti and meatballs. “He made frequent late-night trips to his family’s pantry, where he consumed copious amounts of fruity pebbles and popcorn.”
The tribute continued: “Although he left this world far too early, he lived a life full of good friends and family. He was funny and kind-hearted, but also intense and ambitious.” He loved his grandparents and took pride in his work.
“His family and friends will miss him dearly and will carry their cherished memories of him for eternity.”
The family is holding a memorial service on Sunday, June 4 and has asked that donations be made on his behalf to the Christian Homes & Family Services charity in Abilene, Texas, an adoption agency.
Robbins (left) had only arrived on the island hours before the pirate sunset boat trip and had stayed at Atlantis Paradise Island in Nassau
Robbins is spotted at the prom. In addition to being sports lovers, his family wrote, “He loved his truck and country music and was always a big star in the showers and with karaoke machines.”
The family is holding a memorial service on Sunday, June 4 and has requested donations on his behalf to the Christian Homes & Family Services charity in Abilene, Texas
Robbins was last seen jumping overboard near Athol Island, not far from where he was on Paradise Island
On Friday, the mother of one of Robbins’ friends told Fox News that several students tried to grab him before he took the plunge, but he was able to free himself.
“It was a booze ride and they were on their way back when that happened,” the unnamed woman said.
“When it happened, my son texted me: ‘Cameron jumped off. They can’t find him.” They were out until 2.3am. It was terrible weather that night. The children were cold, wet and traumatized.
“The girls wore bikinis and bathing suits. The boys gave them their shirts. “It was bad timing to bring drunk 18-year-olds into waters near this island where there is nothing.”
Robbins had been on the island for just a few hours before joining the party cruise alongside dozens of recent grads, who headed to the Caribbean hotspot to celebrate their high school graduation just days before the tragedy.
But the mother said the other graduates were shocked and in disbelief after Robbins freed himself and jumped into the water, prompting an exhaustive multi-day search that has since been called off.
Terrifying footage captured the moment Robbins was thrown a life jacket by one of his classmates, only to swim away from help as a shadowy image circled beneath.
The ominous video has fueled speculation he may have been attacked by a shark, and with no trace of the youth missing, the multi-agency search for him was halted after two days.
When the search was complete, Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) Commodore Raymond King provided an update, confirming that the area where Robbins went overboard was populated by large numbers of sharks.
“I can tell you that the area that an individual reportedly jumped over is actually infested with sharks,” he said.
“It’s so unfortunate but I don’t want the family to lose hope.”
“The probability of survival drops significantly, especially if a person was not wearing a life jacket and especially if the person appears to be drunk.”
Before the operation was called off, the US Coast Guard deployed several search and rescue forces in response to the assistance of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.
In the extensive search for Robbins, officers planned and searched a 325 square mile area in the Caribbean Sea.
This chart depicts the 325-square-mile search for 18-year-old Cameron Robbins
Robbins, pictured left with his grandmother and brother, had just graduated from high school before the tragedy
After the search for the teenager ended, his heartbroken family traveled to the Bahamas to retrace his final moves.
Speaking to WBRZ, United Cajun Navy vice president Brian Trascher said, “It took a lot of strength for you to go out there and stay a few days.”
“When we offered to take them on a boat to the area where he went overboard and part of the area they searched, they went.”
“I know it must have been very emotional for them, but they left and on Sunday they decided to go home.”
“Had they found an item of clothing or any lead, that would result in them extending the 48-hour deadline, but if they don’t get a lead, they usually call it off.”
Tributes have been pouring in for the teenager as the Baton Rouge community grapples with his disappearance.
His baseball coach Justin Morgan said, “Cameron is a kid who is truly loved by his teammates, teachers and classmates.”
“He’s a tough competitor on the baseball field.” He’s a hard worker both on and off the field. Our school community is struggling at the moment but hoping for the best.
“Our thoughts and prayers have been and remain with the Robbins family at this difficult time.”