Family of missing teen baseball star seen saying final goodbyes at memorial

07 June 2023 , 11:26
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People gathered to say their goodbyes to the teen (Image: MEGA)
People gathered to say their goodbyes to the teen (Image: MEGA)

The family and friends of missing teen baseball star Cameron Robbins, who jumped overboard on a holiday cruise, have been spotted saying their final goodbyes at a private memorial service.

Cameron Robbins vanished when he jumped into the shark-infested water off a sunset cruise in the Bahamas last month, and he has still not been found.

Loved ones gathered at the Broadmoor United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to pay their respects to Cameron, who is now believed to be dead.

The 18-year-old had jumped off a pirate-themed sunset cruise reportedly as a dare while on a graduation trip with classmates and other high school students from the Baton Rouge area to Nassau on Wednesday, May 24.

Family of missing teen baseball star seen saying final goodbyes at memorial tdiqridquidzeinvThe order of service from the day (MEGA)
Family of missing teen baseball star seen saying final goodbyes at memorialCameron was described as a "funny and kind-hearted, but also intense and driven" teen (MEGA)

Despite a multi-agency search effort, which involved the US Coast Guard searching more than 325 square miles, Cameron has not been found.

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Chilling footage from the night he disappeared shows the teen jumping into the dark waters in his swimming trunks, with no life jacket, splashing several feet from the boat before drifting into the darkness.

On Sunday, June 4, family and friends filed into the church to pay their respects to Cameron, who had recently graduated from University Laboratory School.

Family of missing teen baseball star seen saying final goodbyes at memorialMourners gathered at the Broadmoor United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge (MEGA)

Many of his former classmates piled into the church to honour their late friend, with some likely to have been on the trip where he disappeared.

A long line of people dressed in dark colours gathered outside the church doors as mourners waited to pay their respects to the teen.

Cameron's parents and siblings were also pictured walking toward the church together.

Family of missing teen baseball star seen saying final goodbyes at memorialCameron's brother, Cole Robbins, at the service (MEGA)

Cameron's father, Will, 54, and cousin, Charlie Robbins, were reportedly listed on the funeral programme as those set to deliver eulogies.

His mum, Shari, brother, Cole, and sister, Cassie, were also spotted attending along with his grandmother.

Cameron was described as "funny and kind-hearted, but also intense and driven."

His obituary read: "Though he left this world far too soon, he lived a life full of good friends and family."

Family of missing teen baseball star seen saying final goodbyes at memorialCameron Robbins' brother, Cole, was seen walking into the service wearing dark sunglasses (MEGA)

Haunting video footage captured the moment Cameron went overboard, and the last moments he was seen alive.

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The teen was on a school trip with classmates and students from other Baton Rouge high schools, having arrived in the Bahamas just hours before going on the sunset cruise.

Toward the end of the evening cruise, Cameron was reportedly dared to jump off the ship, near the uninhabited Athol Island.

Family of missing teen baseball star seen saying final goodbyes at memorialA private memorial service was held for Cameron on Sunday, June 4 (MEGA)

Other teens can be heard egging him on in the video, shouting in shock as he jumped into the water, before things take a dark turn.

As people begin to realise the severity of the situation, a life preserver is thrown out to Cameron, with people shouting: "Grab the buoy... grab the buoy."

But instead of grabbing hold, Cameron appears to drift off in the opposite direction into the dark night.

Family of missing teen baseball star seen saying final goodbyes at memorialThere was a large turnout for Cameron's memorial (MEGA)

The video has sparked debate and speculation online as to what happened - with some people saying they can clearly see the shadow of a shark in the footage.

The Bahamas is known to be home to some highly aggressive shark species, including tiger and bull sharks.

In an update on Monday, May 29, Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Raymond King confirmed the waters where Cameron went overboard is "really shark infested."

Family of missing teen baseball star seen saying final goodbyes at memorialFamily and friends say their final goodbyes to Cameron Robbins, 18, who jumped off Bahamas boat as a dare (MEGA)

However, experts, including a spokesman for the United Cajun Navy, don't believe he "came in contact with any type of shark or predatory marine life."

Brian Trascher, vice president and spokesperson for the United Cajun Navy, said: "Until we get better video or something more conclusive, that's going to be our position."

Other experts noted the lack of blood in the water where Cameron disappeared, and that, despite species in the area being aggressive, it's ultimately incredibly rare for a shark to consume a human.

Fiona Leishman

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