Jameson Reeder Jr. GiveSendGo raises more than $50000 as 10-year-old loses part of leg in deadly shark attack

On Saturday, August 13, 2022, a family vacation took a tragic turn when 10-year-old Jameson Reeder Jr. fell victim to a shark attack. The incident took place off the coast of the Florida Keys. The shark bite gravely injured Reeder Jr.'s leg, resulting in an amputation of the limb.

The young victim was on vacation with his family when he was attacked by what is believed to be an 8ft bull shark while snorkeling near the Looe Key reef. According to a post made by Jameson Reeder Jr's uncle on Facebook, he was with his mother, father, two brothers and sister when he was attacked around 4 p.m in the afternoon. His uncle, Joshua Reeder, said:

"He was in the Florida Keys on vacation with my brother Jameson sr. and Mary Reeder along with his brothers Noah and Nehemiah and sister Eliana. They were out on a boat snorkeling along a shallow reef when a very traumatic event occurred and my nephew Jameson jr. was attacked by what they believe to be an 8ft Bull Shark on his leg and took a crushing blow below his knee."

After the attack, the boy was airlifted to Nicklaujs Children's Hospital in Miami in an emergency situation. While the surgery saved his life, his leg had to be amputated from below the knee. In his post, Joshua Reeder further said:

"They had to remove/amputate from just below the knee to save his life as it was not operable from the damage the shark had caused. They said the shark made the decision for him and wasn’t anything they could do to save it. But his life was spared. Thank you Yeshua/Jesus!!!"

According to his family, Jameson Reeder Jr.'s surgery was successful and he is making a miraculous recovery. A GiveSendGo page has been set up by a family friend for the young victim to aid him and his family during this difficult time.

As of Tuesday, the fundraiser has raised over $50,000, with 357 donors, for Jameson Reeder Jr.'s medical expenses.

Joshua Reeder's Facebook post has asked for donations and prayers for the affected family.

"My dear friend has setup a GiveSendGo page to help with supporting my brother Jameson and his family for this road to recovery. At this time this is the only page we know of and have approved for any sort of financial support...Please follow this post or the link below to stay updated as we can give updates."

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Concerns over safety arise as number of shark attacks increases

After a vacation ended in an emergency surgery for 10-year-old Jameson Reeder Jr., concerns amongst the public have risen.

Reeder Jr., who was snorkeling off the coast of the Florida Keys, was bitten by a shark but stayed afloat with the help of a noodle, which was long enough for his family to reach him. Within an hour, he was transported to a hospital in Miami via helicopter.

Jameson Reeder Jr. was the fourth victim of shark-related attacks in the Florida Keys since April of this year. Previous victims of a shark attack this summer include a 13-year-old boy who was chomped in the face and a teenage girl.

Volusia County, infamously known as Florida's 'shark bite capital of the world', is home to Daytona Beach, which has witnessed at least half a dozen shark attacks just this year.

According to data collected by the International Shark Attack File, there were 47 confirmed cases of unprovoked shark attacks in the US.