- Tamayo Perry, 49, was found with shark bites off the coast of Oahu
Surfing legend Tamayo Perry, who appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean, died Sunday in a shark attack while surfing off the coast of Oahu.
Perry, 49, had reportedly been found on Mālaekahana Beach on Oahu’s north shore by local surfers with an arm and a leg missing. according to Stab magazine.
Lifeguards said he appeared to have suffered “more than one possible shark bite.”
Lifeguards then brought Perry to shore by jet ski and paramedics pronounced him dead, authorities said at a news conference.
Ocean Safety staff posted shark warnings in the area after the attack.
Surfing legend Tamayo Perry, 49, died from a shark attack on Sunday
Perry was born in 1975, grew up on the east side of Oahu and made his career on the North Shore, as a professional surfer and then as a lifeguard.
He began surfing at the age of 12, and as 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 guy had come a long way to developing a style of tube surfing, combining traits from Gerry Lopez and Tom Carroll, his two favorite old-school Pipeline surfers,” he says.
Two years later, Perry would win the Pipeline Masters, and by 2005, Perry was widely considered one of Pipeline’s top surfers, drawing attention for his smile and casual poise while battling big waves.
His charisma and skills also earned him roles in the 2002 hit Blue Crush, Lost, 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 commercial for Coca-Cola. reports the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
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 devoted surfer, I have acquired an enormous 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 in the Extra Large size, I was involved in a near-fatal experience,” he said, without going into details.
‘The incident occurred all due to another person’s lack of awareness.
“The lessons I have learned from that event have inspired me to achieve my goal of instilling proper surf etiquette and safety in those I teach.”
Honolulu’s acting chief of ocean safety, Kurt Lager, said Perry was “a lifeguard loved by everyone.”
It is well known on the north coast. He is a professional surfer known throughout the world,” Lager stated at the press conference.
“Tamayo’s personality was contagious and as much as people loved him, he loved others more.”
“Tamayo was a legendary and highly respected boatman,” said Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, calling Perry’s death “a tragic loss.”