Friends of Louisiana teen Cameron Robbins ‘physically tried to prevent’ him from jumping overboard in the Bahamas before going missing in ‘shark-infested waters’
Louisiana teen Cameron Robbins “tried to physically stop him” from jumping overboard on a party cruise in the Bahamas before going missing in shark-infested waters.
The high school baseball star reportedly jumped off the deck after being challenged, but a mother of one of Robbins’ friends has revealed that several students tried to grab him before he went overboard.
“This was a booze cruise and they were on their way back when this happened,” she said Fox news.
“My son texted me when it happened saying, ‘Cameron jumped off. They can’t find him.’ They were there until 2 or 3 am. The weather was terrible that night. The children were cold, wet and traumatized.
The girls wore bikinis and bathing suits. The boys gave them their shirts. It was a bad time to take drunk 18-year-olds into the waters near this island where there is nothing.’
Robbins, pictured left with his grandmother and brother, had only just graduated from high school days before the tragedy
Robbins was a standout baseball player at University Laboratory High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Robbins had been on the island for just a few hours before joining the party cruise along with dozens of recent graduates, who traveled to the Caribbean hotspot just days before the tragedy to celebrate finishing high school.
But the mother said the other graduates were left in shock and disbelief after Robbins broke free and jumped into the water, sparking an exhausting multi-day search that has since been called off.
Terrifying footage then captured the moment Robbins was thrown a life preserver by one of his fellow students, then swam away for help as a shadowy image circled below.
The ominous video has fueled speculation that he may have been attacked by a shark, and with no sign of the youngster, the multi-agency search for him was ended after two days.
Robbins (left) had only arrived on the island hours before the pirate-themed sunset boat excursion and was staying at the Atlantis Paradise Island in Nassau
Commodore Raymond King of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) provided an update when the search ended and confirmed that the area where Robbins went overboard is populated by a large number of sharks.
“I can tell you that the area that a person reportedly jumped over is also an area that is really shark infested,” he said.
“It’s such a shame, but I don’t want the family to lose hope.
“The chance of survival decreases significantly, especially if a person is not wearing a life jacket and especially if a person is perceived as intoxicated.”
Before the operation was called off, the United States Coast Guard deployed multiple search and rescue assets in response to receiving assistance from the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.
The extensive search to find Robbins saw officials plot and search a 325-square-mile area of the Caribbean Sea.
Robbins was last seen jumping overboard near Athol Island, not far from where he was staying on Paradise Island
Tributes pour in for the teen as the Baton Rouge community grapples with his disappearance.
His baseball coach, Justin Morgan, said, “Cameron is a kid who is really loved by his teammates, teachers and classmates.
“He’s a formidable competitor on the baseball field. He is a hard worker both on and off the playing field. Our school community is struggling right now, but we hope for the very best.
“Our thoughts and prayers are and will remain with the Robbins family at this difficult time.”