City lifeguard confirmed dead after shark attack on North Coast

A city lifeguard died this afternoon on the North Shore, suffering injuries consistent with a shark attack, according to Shayne Enright, spokesman for Honolulu Emergency Medical Services and Honolulu Ocean Safety.

Honolulu Police, Honolulu Fire Department and Honolulu Ocean Safety responded to the popular surfing area shortly before 1 p.m. today.

The victim was identified as 49-year-old professional surfer Tamayo Perry, who was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple shark bite injuries. He was surfing in the waters off Goat Island, also known as Mokuauia, near Laie, during a break from his lifeguard duties. He was brought to shore by lifeguards via jet ski.

Born and raised on Oahu, Perry has been surfing for more than 15 years and shares his passion for teaching others to surf through Oahu Surfing Experience with his wife, Emilia Perry.

“As an avid water sports enthusiast, I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge not only through what I have accomplished, but also through what I have endured,” his bio states. “A few years ago, I had a freak accident while surfing the Pipeline on the Extra Large that was nearly fatal. The incident only happened because someone else wasn’t paying attention. The lessons I learned from this incident inspired my goal of teaching my students proper surf etiquette and safety.”

According to his bio, Perry has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including “Blue Crush,” “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-0.” He also appeared in commercials for Nissan Xterra that aired during the NFL playoffs and the Winter Olympics, as well as a commercial for Coca-Cola.

Shark warning signs have been posted at the Malaekahana State Recreation Area and the public has been advised to stay away from the water until Monday.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.