Surf
Tamayo Perry, a 49-year-old professional surfer, lifeguard, and actor known for his role in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” died Sunday afternoon following a shark attack near Goat Island off Oahu’s northeast shore, reports Hawaii News Now. It is the first recorded death of a professional surfer by a shark attack.
Honolulu Emergency Services responded to a call just before 1 p.m. reporting a man with apparent shark bites in the water. Lifeguards brought Perry to shore by jet ski, where paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
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Perry, a native of Oahu’s East Side, began surfing at age 12 and quickly rose to prominence in the surfing world. He was known for his exceptional skills at Pipeline, one of the most challenging surf breaks in the world, and was named by Surfing magazine in 2002 as “most likely to get the barrel of the year.”
Beyond his surfing career, Perry appeared in several films and television shows, including “Blue Crush” and “Hawaii Five-0.” He later became a lifeguard and, with his wife Emilia, founded the Oahu Surfing Experience to share his passion for the sport.
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Acting Ocean Safety Chief Kurt Lager described Perry as “a lifeguard loved by all, well-known on the North Shore, a professional surfer known worldwide.” Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi called Perry “a legendary waterman and highly respected… a great member of our Ocean Safety team”.
The incident marks a rare fatal shark attack involving a professional surfer. Ocean Safety personnel have posted shark warnings in the area following the attack.
