- Tamayo Perry, 49, was found with shark bites off the coast of Oahu
Surfing legend Tamayo Perry, who once appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean, was killed in a shark attack while surfing off the coast of Oahu on Sunday.
Perry, 49, was reportedly found at Mālaekahana Beach on Oahu’s North Shore by local surfers with an arm and a leg missing. according to Stab Magazine.
First responders said it appeared he had suffered “more than one possible shark bite.”
Lifeguards then took Perry to shore by jet ski and paramedics pronounced him dead, officials said at a news conference.
Ocean Safety personnel posted shark warnings in the area after the attack.
Surfing legend Tamayo Perry, 49, died Sunday from a shark attack
He was found at Mālaekahana Beach on Oahu’s North Shore by local surfers with an arm and a leg missing
Born in 1975, Perry grew up on the east side of Oahu and made a career on the North Shore, both as a professional surfer and later as a lifeguard.
He started surfing at age 12, and by the time he was a teenager, Perry was considered the “quiet, up-and-coming local kid who had to borrow surfboards because he had no sponsors.” according to The Encyclopedia of Surfing.
“By 1997, the wiry goofy-footer had come a long way in developing a tube riding style, combining traits of Gerry Lopez and Tom Carroll, his two favorite old-school Pipeline surfers,” it reads.
Two years later, Perry would win the Pipeline Masters, and by 2005, Perry was widely considered one of Pipelines’ most prominent surfers. He gained attention for his smile and nonchalant attitude while battling large waves.
His charisma and skills also landed him roles in the 2002 hit Blue Crush, Lost, the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Hawaii Five-0.
Perry also did commercials for Nissan Xterra, which aired during the NFL playoffs and the Winter Olympics, as well as a spot for Coca-Cola, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports.
Perry appeared in the 2002 hit film Blue Crush
He eventually joined Ocean Safety in 2016 and began sharing his passion for surfing by creating the Oahu Surfing Experience with his wife Emilia.
“As a dedicated waterman, I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge, not only from what I have achieved, but also from what I have suffered,” he wrote in his surf school biography.
“Several years ago, while surfing Pipeline on the Extra Large format, I was involved in a near-fatal experience,” he said, without going into details.
“The incident all happened because of someone else’s lack of awareness.
“The lessons I learned from that event inspired my goal of teaching proper surfing etiquette and safety to those I teach.”
Kurt Lager, acting chief of Honolulu Ocean Safety, said Perry was “a lifeguard loved by all.”
“He’s well known on the North Shore. He is a professional surfer known worldwide,” Lager said at the press conference.
“Tamayo’s personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more.”
“Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected,” Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said, calling Perry’s death “a tragic loss.”