Falmouth Fisherman Missing After Suspected Shark Attack Off Trelawny

Concern has spread through parts of Falmouth in Trelawny, where 55-year-old fisherman Dennis Clarke is missing and feared dead after reportedly encountering a shark while fishing offshore.

Fritz Christie, who heads the Trelawny Fishermen’s Association, said the search began when Clarke failed to return to the fishing village. After a week at sea, Christie told The STAR that optimism about finding him alive has largely disappeared.

“When he did not arrive back at the village a search was launched. Yesterday his fish gun was found but no trace of the body,” Christie said.

The case has unsettled local fishers, with some saying sharks are being seen more often near the Falmouth shoreline. Christie said cruise ships moving into the port are believed to attract the animals to the area.

“Other fishermen encounter sharks from time to time but if you are wearing a Shark Ban they stay away. The Shark Ban gives off a certain vibration which keeps the shark at bay. I urge all fishermen to purchase a Shark Ban for their own safety,” he said.

Should Clarke’s death be verified as a shark attack, he would be the second fisherman since 2024 believed to have died in such circumstances in Jamaican waters. In August 2024, Jamaree Reid, a 16-year-old student of William Knibb Memorial High School, was also feared killed by a shark after disappearing at sea.