Friends of Cameron Robbins 'tried to physically stop' him from jumping overboard

Friends of Louisiana teen Cameron Robbins 'tried to physically stop' him from jumping from a Bahamas party boat into shark infested waters.

Robbins, 18, went missing last Wednesday after leaping from Blackbeard's Revenge off uninhabited Athol Island while on a high school graduation trip. The search was called off two days later.

Now the mother of one of Robbins' friends has told Fox News that revealed that several students tried to grab him before he took the plunge but he broke free.

'This was a booze cruise, and they were on their way back when this happened,' the unnamed woman said.

'My son texted me when it happened, saying, "Cameron jumped off. They can’t find him." They were out there until 2, 3 the morning. It was terrible weather that night. The kids were cold, wet and traumatized.

Robbins, pictured here on the left with his grandmom 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 

'The girls were in bikinis and bathing suits. The guys were giving them their shirts. It was a bad time to bring drunk 18-year-olds out into waters near this island where there's nothing.' 

Robbins had only been on the island mere hours before he joined the party cruise alongside dozens of recent graduates, who travelled to the Caribbean hotspot to celebrate finishing high school just days before the tragedy. 

But the mother said the other graduates were left in shock and disbelief after Robbins broke free and jumped into the water, leading to an exhaustive multi-day search that has since been called off.

Terrifying footage captured the moment Robbins was flung a life preserver by one of his fellow graduates, only for him to swim away from help as a shadowy image circled beneath.

The ominous video has fueled speculation he may have been attacked by a shark, and with no trace of the youngster, the multi-agency search for him was ended after two days.

Providing an update as the search was ended, Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) Commodore Raymond King confirmed that the area where Robbins went overboard is populated by a high number of sharks.

'I can tell you that area where an individual reportedly jumped over, it's an area that is really shark infested as well,' he said.

'It is so unfortunate, but I don't want the family to lose hope.

Robbins (left) had only arrived on the island hours before the pirate-themed sunset boat excursion and had been staying at the Atlantis Paradise Island in Nassau

Robbins was last seen jumping overboard near Athol Island, not far from where he had been staying on Paradise Island

'The probability of survival decreases significantly particularly if a person did not have on a life vest and particularly if a person is perceived to be intoxicated.'

Before the operation was called off, the US Coast Guard deployed multiple search and rescue assets in response to obtaining assistance from the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.

The expansive search to find Robbins saw officials plot and scour a 325-square-mile area of the Caribbean Sea.

After the search for the teenager was ended, his heartbroken family travelled to the Bahamas to retrace his final movements. 

Speaking to WBRZ, United Cajun Navy Vice President Brian Trascher said: 'It took a lot of strength for them to go out there and stay for a few days.

'When we offered to take them out in a boat to the area where he went overboard and some of the area they were searching they went.

'I know had to be very emotional for them, but they went and by Sunday they decided they wanted to go home.

'Had they found a piece of clothing or any kind of clue, that would cause them to extend that 48-hour period, but if they don't get any kind of indication then that's usually when they call it off.'

The 325-square-mile search for Cameron Robbins, 18, is plotted in this chart 

Tributes have poured in for the teenager as the Baton Rouge community grapples with his disappearance.

His baseball coach, Justin Morgan, said: 'Cameron is a kid who is truly loved by his teammates, teachers, and fellow classmates.

'He is a fierce competitor on the baseball field. He is a hard worker both on and off of the playing field. Our school community is struggling right now but hoping for the very best.

'Our thoughts and prayers have been and will remain with the Robbins family during this difficult time.'