(KHON/NEXSTAR) — Well-known surfer and occasional actor Tamayo Perry, who appeared in such films as “Blue Crush” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” was killed in an apparent shark attack on Sunday, officials in Hawaii believe.
The incident was reported just before 1 p.m. after Perry and a group of surfers were paddling out to Malaekahana, an island off Oahu’s North Shore, also known as Goat Island. The 911 caller said Perry’s body “appeared to have suffered more than one possible shark bite.”
Perry, 49, was employed as a professional lifeguard with Honolulu Ocean Safety. He was on his lunch break when the incident occurred.
“Tamayo Perry was a lifeguard loved by all,” said Kurt Lager, acting Ocean Safety Chief in a news conference on Sunday. “He was well-known on the North Shore. He’s a professional surfer known worldwide. Tamayo’s personality was infectious, and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more.
“Our condolences go out to Tamayo’s family and to the entire lifeguard ohana.”
Officials said Perry was initially brought to Malaekehana by a fellow surfer after the attack. Honolulu Ocean Safety transported him back to the North Shore, where “Honolulu EMS personnel assisted with his death pronouncement,” according to Shayne Enright of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, speaking at Sunday’s news conference, called Perry “a legendary waterman.”
“This is just a tragic loss. … You get a call like this on a Sunday afternoon, and it’s just, just really hard to imagine,” Blangiardi said.
Shark warning signs have been posted on the beach following Sunday’s incident, Nexstar’s KHON reported.
Perry, a former professional surfer, competed in such competitions as the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii and the Billabong Pro Teahupoo in Tahiti.
Aside from surfing, Perry appeared as a stunt performer and actor in a handful of films between 2002 and 2015, including “The Big Bounce,” in which he’s listed under “stunts;” “Blue Crush,” playing a character named “Tamayo,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” win which he’s credited as “Buccaneer,” according to IMDb. He also appeared in a 2011 episode of “Hawaii 5-0.”
