Body washed ashore on remote section of South Beach in Amity

A high school teenager was killed Sunday night on a remote section of South Beach in Amity. The mangled body was washed ashore early this morning, and police have been continuing investigating ever since.

The body was identified as Chrissie Watson, 17, of 23 Sharkstooth St., Amity, and a senior at Amity High School. She was last seen alive leaving a beach party with another teen, a male identified as Christopher P. Hoggenbottam III, a sophomore at Trinity College and former resident of the island, at about 11 p.m.

Police Chief Martin Brody described the body as disturbing to the eye.

“With all due respect to Watson’s family I will not describe any further to what it looked like,” Brody said.

According to police, Hoggenbottam recognized Watson as a member of the varsity swim team at Amity High School and a lifeguard at the Amity Island YMCA pool in Oak Bluffs. The two reportedly decided to go swimming and entered the water at a remote section of South Beach near the South Beach Shoal bell buoy.

Police also learned from Hoggenbottam that both teenagers had been drinking heavily and possibly smoking marijuana during the evening.

“Hoggenbottam was passed out on the beach,” Brody said. “He was not in the right mind state to identify where Watson might have ended up after her time in the water. It was only after he woke up did he realize that she was nowhere in sight.”

When Watson did not return from the water, Hoggenbottam notified police at about 6 a.m. After a brief search, Watson’s mauled body was found by Police Deputy Jay Hendricks early in the morning washed up on the beach.

The body was described by police as being severely wounded by an attacker of unknown origin.

Though a shark attack has not been completely ruled out, Brody wants to assure all residents and visitors on the island that they are in no danger.

“There is no reason to believe that this was indeed a shark attack,” Brody said. “Our beaches will remain open for swimming until otherwise.”

Since then, Watson’s body has been transported to the coroner’s office for autopsy. No charges have been filed in the case, and police are continuing their investigation into the incident.