Shocked uncle describes finding his 16-year-old nephew ‘headless’ after the boy was decapitated by a tiger shark off the coast of Jamaica

A shocked uncle has said he found his nephew “headless” after the boy was decapitated by a tiger shark off the coast of Jamaica.

Jahmari Reid, 16, was spearfishing alone near the popular tourist spot of Montego Bay on Monday when he disappeared, local police said.

The high school student’s mutilated body was found Tuesday morning by his shocked uncle and other divers who had volunteered to help with the search.

The boy’s body was found with his head and left arm bitten off.

‘If we [found] him, his hand [was on] one side and then us [found] his body [on the other side] “Headless,” Jahmari’s grieving uncle, Robert Robinson, a local fisherman for nearly 28 years, told the Jamaica Observer.

He wrote to the Jamaica Star that he had ‘bitten the body all the way through the shark’.

Jahmari Reid, 16, had gone spearfishing near the popular tourist spot of Montego Bay

Locals from the town of Falmouth gathered on the beach as the body was recovered

Jahmari’s father, Michael Reid (right), was heartbroken on the beach when his son’s remains were brought back to land

Robert said that as Jahmari’s body was being brought to the surface, the huge tiger shark that he believes killed his cousin swam by. He and the other divers shot at the shark, hoping to kill it and save Jahmari’s head, but they missed.

The fisherman believes Jahmari died after catching a large fish, attracting the attention of the shark, which then decapitated the 16-year-old girl.

Photos from the scene show dozens of shocked residents gathering on the beach in the town of Falmouth on the island’s north coast.

Jahmari’s father, Michael Reid, was heartbroken on the beach when his son’s remains were brought back to shore.

I can’t believe he went to the sea alone yesterday [Monday] and that was the outcome. Sad to know. I feel so bad,’ he told Jamaican media.

The taxi driver said that he had often tried to discourage his son from his underwater fishing hobby and that they often argued about his excursion.

Jahmari’s mother, Lavern Robinson, said through tears, “Right now I don’t know what to say. Jahmari has been going to the ocean since she was a little girl. [He] i just love it and [he] always goes out [his] uncle. [He] was in grade 10 and preparing for grade 11.

According to the president of a local fishing association, this was the first time in recent history that someone had been killed by a shark in local waters.

The high school student is pictured with his father, taxi driver Michael Reid

The attack took place off the coast of the north coast town of Falmouth

Fritz Christie suggested the shark may have followed a cruise ship into Falmouth Bay and warned spearfishermen to be extremely careful when large vessels enter the bay.

“What we have to do is make sure that when the ships come, we’re careful about diving. The shark eats the man’s head off, eats one of his hands off. It’s crazy, man,” Christie said.

Falmouth police are reported to be investigating the tragedy.

According to the International Shark Attack File, shark attacks in Jamaica are extremely rare. Since 1749, only three unprovoked attacks have been reported.

The most common shark in Jamaica is the nurse shark. This shark is tame and usually stays near the seabed.

Caribbean reef sharks, tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks and bull sharks have also been seen in Jamaican waters.