Jameson Reeder | Shark Attack Survivor | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 987

Jameson Reeder is a shark attack survivor who was viciously attacked by an eight to ten foot bull shark while snorkeling at Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys on August 13, 2022, when he was just ten years old. In this extraordinary episode, Jameson and his father Jameson Senior share the harrowing details of that day—from the moment the shark's teeth tore through his leg below the knee, to the miraculous rescue that involved strangers with a triple-engine Invincible, a nurse who swam through shark-infested water to help, and a nine-mile race against time. What makes this story even more remarkable is what happened during that boat ride to shore: Jameson had a vision of Jesus that gave him supernatural peace and the strength to sing worship songs while actively bleeding out. Four days later, from his hospital bed, he told his father he wanted to return to the exact spot where he was attacked.

The Attack at Looe Key Reef

It was the last weekend before school started—August 13, 2022—and the Reeder family had driven down to the Lower Florida Keys to visit friends on Sugarloaf. After a few windy days, the conditions at Looe Key Reef finally laid down, offering crystal clear water with over 50 feet of visibility. They spent 40 minutes motoring out the nine miles offshore, looped around the crowded reef looking for a mooring ball like it was Black Friday at a mall, and finally tied up on the inside of the reef in just eight feet of water. Jameson had his GoPro and was filming a sea turtle that seemed unusually comfortable with his presence, swimming alongside him in what felt like a spiritual connection. His father dove down to show his three-year-old brother Nehemiah a queen conch, trying to keep the little one occupied while Jameson captured epic footage. That's when the screaming started. What Jameson's father saw when he pulled his son onto the boat—and what happened in the moments that followed—involved a level of devastation that made every first responder who saw it certain the boy wouldn't survive. The full account of what the shark did to Jameson's leg starts at 00:10:30.

The Miracle Boat and the Nurse Who Jumped In

Jameson's father had to make an impossible decision: navigate over a shallow reef that could sink their boat, or take the long route around while his son bled out. He chose to go over the reef, and miraculously didn't scratch the bottom. But that unusual move caught everyone's attention—multiple boats started calling 911 thinking they were witnessing a vessel about to sink. The closest boat happened to be a 38-foot Invincible with triple 350 engines, compared to their Scout's single 300 horsepower. The captain's name was Todd Grooms, a complete stranger. As they pulled rail to rail and Jameson's father screamed for help, something even more remarkable happened: a woman appeared on their boat, dripping wet. She had heard "shark attack" and jumped into the same water where a massive bull shark had just struck, swimming over with a dry bag of medical supplies. Her name was Jennifer, and she was a nurse. The convergence of the fastest boat on the reef and a medical professional willing to swim through danger set the stage for what would be a ten-minute sprint covering nine miles. How they closed that distance and what was happening on that boat ride starts at 00:16:00.

The Vision of Jesus at 70 Miles Per Hour

While bouncing violently on a beanbag in the back of Todd's boat, Jameson's mother kept tapping him on the head to keep him from falling asleep—and dying. Jameson was white as a sheet from blood loss, in excruciating pain, and fighting to stay conscious. That's when he saw what he first thought was a man on fire. As his vision cleared, he realized it was Jesus—but not the Jesus from any picture or stained glass window he'd ever seen. The figure had longer hair than expected, and there was a color in heaven that doesn't exist on Earth, the closest approximation being an impossibly bright white. Jameson couldn't see the face because it was too bright, but he could see the rest of the form floating there. No words were exchanged, but an overwhelming sense of peace washed over him. He turned to Kyle Kelly, the man kneeling at his head, and said, "It's okay. I see the light." Kyle, thinking he was losing him, said, "No, no, look away from the light." But something changed in that moment—Kyle later told Jameson's father that all the color returned to the boy's body right then. And Jameson started singing a worship song called "Here I Am to Worship." Jameson's firsthand description of what Jesus looked like starts at 00:21:30.

Four Days Later: The Call From Under the Sheets

Jameson underwent four surgeries in three weeks at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami. Every first responder, paramedic, and medical professional who saw his leg expected amputation. Four days after the attack, while his father stepped out to get a toothbrush from CVS at nine in the evening, Jameson called him—using his grandfather's phone, hiding under the hospital sheets so his mother wouldn't hear. He told his father he wanted to go back to the reef. Not "one day" or "someday," but as soon as the doctors cleared him. When his father returned to the hospital and Jameson announced this to the entire family, there was stunned silence. Then his mother spoke up: "Well, I'll be on the boat with a shotgun." What his younger siblings said, how his older siblings Noah and Alyanna processed their own fear, and what actually happened when they returned to Looe Key Reef reveals something profound about facing fear with faith. Jameson's reasoning was simple but powerful: if he didn't face his fear soon, it would only get harder and harder to even think about it. The hospital room conversation and what led to their return to the reef starts at 00:38:00.

Final Thoughts from Tom

I've been going to Looe Key Reef since I was a kid. I used to live on Ramrod Key, and that was our spot—the closest good snorkeling destination. I've spent hundreds of hours in that water, and hearing this story hit me in a way that's hard to describe. This isn't just a shark attack survival story, though that alone would be remarkable enough. This is about what happens when a ten-year-old boy's faith is tested in the most violent and terrifying way possible, and he responds with a level of peace and courage that left first responders in tears.

What Jameson describes seeing during that boat ride—the vision of Jesus, the supernatural peace, the color that doesn't exist on Earth—these aren't the words of someone making things up or embellishing. This is a kid telling you exactly what he experienced. And the fact that he wanted to go back to the reef four days later, that he was comforting the adults around him while he was actively bleeding out, that he sang worship songs at 70 miles per hour while bouncing on a beanbag with his leg destroyed—it's the kind of story that makes you reexamine what you think is possible when faith meets fear.

Jameson Senior's perspective as a father watching this unfold, thinking he's about to lose his son, then seeing miracle after miracle stack up—from the fastest boat on the reef to the nurse who jumped in to the way they got over that shallow reef without a scratch—it's the kind of day that changes how you see everything. This one's worth your time. Listen to the whole thing.