As Robbins’ body was never found, authorities ultimately designated him ‘lost at sea’ – United Cajun Navy spokesperson Brian Trascher told Fox News Digital this is the equivalent of a death certificate.
According to witnesses, Robbins acted on a dare and jumped overboard from the cruise on May 24, plunging into the water near Athol Island.
Footage of this has gone viral on social media, prompting several conspiracy theories.
Redditors have examined the clip frame by frame, with some claiming a shark can be seen near the teen.
One person asserts: “The video shows it clearly, he was attacked by a shark and dragged under.”
Agreeing, a second says: “You can see the shark on the left side of the video.”
In an interview with the Mirror, Kevin McMurray, who runs a website that collects information on shark attacks, agrees this is a possibility.
He tells the outlet: “Either he sank or a shark ate his body, that’s possible. There are a lot of tiger sharks there, and they’ll scavenge.”
Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Raymond King describes the area where Robbins jumped in as ‘shark-infested.’
However, not everyone agrees with this theory.
Brian Trascher, a spokesperson for the United Cajun Navy nonprofit, which has assisted the Robbins family, tells the New York Post: “We’ve consulted with oceanography and fisheries experts. They don’t believe… that he came in contact with any type of shark or predatory marine life. And until we get a better video or something more conclusive, that’s going to be our position.”
Butch Hendrick, president of the public safety dive training company Lifeguard Systems, says it’s uncommon for shark attacks to occur in the Bahamas.
He theorizes that the teen lost his breath after jumping from the boat, or that the current at the time played a factor in his disappearance.
Although there are many theories on what happened to Robbins, his disappearance remains a mystery.
The final words called out to Robbins are audible in the footage showing the lead-up to his disappearance.
When the teen is in the water, someone aboard the boat can be heard calling out: “Bye-bye.”
Meanwhile, other passengers are frantically trying to get Robbins’ attention and encourage him to swim towards a buoy to help him stay afloat.
Cries of ‘Grab the buoy’ and ‘Hey, the buoy’ fill the air.
Although there’s heartbreaking uncertainty surrounding Robbins’ fate, his family and friends continue to remember him as a beloved son, brother, and friend.
