Teen lost a leg during a shark attack—the next time he entered the water was a true example of faith

The teen was upset that he had lost his leg, but was glad to be alive after the harrowing incident.

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(L) A shark swimming with its mouth open. (R) A teen boy at the seashore. Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Philip Thurston; Carol Yepes

Some incidents can leave an indelible mark on a person's life. An 11-year-old boy experienced that when a bull shark attacked him off the coast of Florida. The boy, Jameson Reeder Jr., lost his right leg because of the shark bite, as the doctors had to amputate it just below the knee to save the boy's life, per Good Morning America. Reeder Jr. was upset that he had lost his leg, but was glad to be alive after the attack. In an update, Reeder Jr. was about to go inside the water again as a teen and his reaction was surprising for everyone.

A shark swimming underwater. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Gerard Soury

The incident happened in August 2022 when the boy was snorkelling in the Looe Key Sanctuary Preservation Area in the Florida Keys. He was recovering from the effects of it as a teen when he went back to the area and decided to go back into the water. He was scared initially, but shared that he really wanted to go in. "I was a little scared before I jumped in…I wanted to go in and for a split second or two, it was like a whole flashback of the whole shark attack just because of the environment of the whole reef. But I knew I had the Lord and so, I popped up and I just had a lot of fun."

A boy snorkelling underwater. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Andrew Merry

The teen's father, James Reeder Sr., was very proud that his son was ready to face his fears and it was a big moment for the family, as well as everyone who had heard the boy's story. "To see him reclaim that from fear was such, I think, not just victory for him and all of us, but for so many people who've been following the story. And do it with so much joy and strength. That was the epitome of that day — joy and strength." The 13-year-old has a prosthetic leg now that also has an image of the shark. He has gone through six surgeries and might have to go through more as he grows up, per the outlet.

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However, the boy had shown incredible strength through all of it, per his mom. "He blows our mind every day. It's been almost three years. He gets up every day and puts that leg on like nothing," Mary Reeder shared. "It's like I was born again. I had to learn how to walk, run, jump and all that stuff," Reeder Jr. shared. He also hoped to get back into sports gradually. He has started learning how to surf and play baseball. "I was a pitcher before the shark attack and I'm trying to get back to it. I've had some tough times and pain through some baseball games. But with how good prosthetics are getting, I actually have no more pain now playing baseball."

The family also released a book detailing the story of the shark attack called "Rescue at the Reef: The Miraculous True Story of a Little Boy with Big Faith." At the time of the incident, the boy's uncle, Joshua Reeder, shared on Facebook how the boy was attacked at a shallow reef and managed to stay afloat with the help of a pool noodle. He received a crushing blow under the knee and his dad rushed with a boat to the boy and jumped in to get him to safety. They tourniqueted the wound and got the boy to a faster boat. Reeder Jr. and his mom were airlifted to the Miami Children's Hospital after reaching the shore. "[The leg] was not operable from the damage the shark had caused. They said the shark made the decision for him." However, his life was saved.