13-year-old shark attack survivor returns to the water: 'I wanted to go in'
A young shark attack survivor is speaking out about overcoming fear and returning to the place where he was bit nearly three years ago.
In August 2022, Jameson Reeder Jr. was attacked by a 9-foot bull shark while snorkeling in the Looe Key Sanctuary Preservation Area in the Florida Keys. Scientists say the number of bull sharks has been on the rise due to warmer water temperatures and conservation efforts.
The then-10-year-old lost his right leg after the attack.
Amid his ongoing recovery, Jameson returned to the Keys and even went back into the water.
"I was a little scared before I jumped in … I wanted to go in and for a split two seconds, it was like a whole flashback of the whole shark attack just because of the environment of the whole reef," Jameson told "Good Morning America." "But I knew I had the Lord and so, I popped up and I just had a lot of fun."
Jameson Reeder Sr., Jameson's father, said seeing his son face his fears was a victory not just for the boy but for their whole family and for everyone who has heard of his story, which "GMA" featured back in September 2022.
"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," Reeder said. "And do it with so much joy and strength. That was the epitome of that day -- joy and strength."
Jameson and his family are sharing their story since the shark attack in a new book titled, "Rescue at the Reef: The Miraculous True Story of a Little Boy with Big Faith."
"The message is there is hope and healing," Reeder said of the new book.
Jameson, now 13, has a prosthetic leg that bears the image of a great white shark. He has undergone six surgeries and has future procedures ahead as he grows.
But his mother, Mary Reeder, said Jameson hasn't let any of it slow him down.
"He blows our mind every day. It's been almost three years. He gets up every day and puts that leg on like nothing," she said.
Jameson is also embracing sports, playing baseball and learning to surf.
"It's like I was born again," Jameson said. "I had to learn how to walk, run, jump, and all that stuff."
"I was a pitcher before the shark attack and I'm trying to get back to it," the 13-year-old added. "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."
"Rescue at the Reef: The Miraculous True Story of a Little Boy with Big Faith" is available for purchase online and in stores.
