Shark attack kills “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor and famous surfer Tamayo Perry in Hawaii

A Hawaiian surfer and lifeguard who starred in Hollywood films for his skills and charisma was apparently killed in a shark attack in Hawaii on Sunday.

Tamayo Perry, 49, who appeared in a “Pirates of the Caribbean” film and was known for his brave and daring surfing skills, died on the island of Oahu, where he was born, raised and worked for marine conservation and lifeguard services throughout his surfing career.

A caller reported to 911 that the man’s body appeared to have suffered multiple shark bites, Honolulu Emergency Services said in a statement.

Emergency services spokeswoman Shayne Enright said during a news conference on Sunday that rescue workers arrived at Mālaekahana Beach on jet skis before 1 p.m. and brought Perry to shore, where he was pronounced dead.

“It is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of one of our incredibly dedicated City and County of Honolulu lifeguards who tragically died today in an apparent shark attack on the North Shore,” Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a statement.

Blangiardi said Perry was “a model of bravery, dedication and a deep sense of duty and served our community with unwavering devotion.”

“We will never forget his heroic actions and tireless commitment to the safety of our residents and visitors,” he added.

Acting Chief of Marine Safety Kurt Lage also said at the press conference that Perry is known by fans of the sport around the world as a professional surfer with an “infectious personality.”

In the surfing world, Perry was best known for navigating the powerful waves of Pipeline, the legendary North Shore spot known for the foaming, left-breaking barrels made famous by their appearance in the opening sequence of the original series Hawaii: Five-0.

In his bio on the website of Oahu Surfing Experience, the surfing and paddle boarding instruction company run by Perry and his wife Emilia, he calls Pipeline “the deadliest wave in the world.”

Perry was born and raised “just east of the North Shore,” his biography states. The area of ​​his first and last waves, Kahuku, is on the northern half of Oahu, but is sometimes described as part of the east side of the island.

The location gave him easy access to Pipeline and the other world-famous locations along the North Shore, including Waimea Bay, Rocky Point and Sunset.

In 1999, Perry won the trials portion of the Pipeline Masters, which opened the door to the main event and put him on the big stage of professional surfing. Kelly Slater, widely considered the best of all time, took the title that year.

The solid performance at Pipeline opened the door to other world-renowned events, including a competition at a relatively untouched location that became notorious as Pipeline’s dark side of the world: Teahupo’o, Tahiti.

It is part of French Polynesia and will host the surfing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Teahupo’o’s left-breaking “meat grinder” is a fault line on a shallow reef where the Pacific Ocean appears to fold in on itself. It has spread fear, caused injuries and killed surfers.

According to his biography, Perry made it to the final four in the 1999 competition. “The waves demanded 110% concentration, commitment and respect,” his biography said.

In the years that followed, he became the mayor of Pipeline and a “lifestyle surfer,” known for tackling big waves, but not necessarily for tackling the often bad waves of professional competitions. Lifestyle surfers are photographed in surf magazines, which makes sponsors happy.

“He went from being a small-town kid to being a very well-known world-class surfer,” said longtime friend Jason Blitzer.

But working as a lifeguard appealed to Perry at home.

While surfing the Pipeline during a big winter swell in 2005, Perry was struck by a board stuck in a crashing wave. The accident required 100 stitches to his head, Blitzer said.

Perry described the experience as a near-death experience and prompted him to devote himself to educating beachgoers about water safety and surfing etiquette, which states that surfers should hold onto their boards and avoid colliding with people downstream of a wave, he said.

At some point, Perry gave up lifeguarding but returned 15 years later, Blitzer said.

The friend, a former North Shore lifeguard and former professional bodyboarder, warned that working as a Pipeline lifeguard is not a typical government job. A Pipeline lifeguard saves some of the fittest athletes in the world.

“You are not allowed to sit in that tower unless a very small group of human elite taps you on the shoulder and tells you that you belong there,” he said in an interview.

He described Perry as unique in a sport characterized by ambitious competitors and threatening seas.

“He’s a world-class surfer,” Blitzer said. “Unmatched, to be honest. He was a surfing pro at the highest level. He knew the water better than 99.9% of the population.”

Perry could have been a regular lecturer – about water safety, surfing and the right behavior for visitors to Hawaii. But he wasn’t, Blitzer said.

“He truly embodies aloha,” he said, meaning Hawaii’s spirit of hospitality and friendliness. “If you met him at the Pipeline Tower, he wouldn’t care who you were, he would talk to you.”

Blitzer did not find Perry’s death on his home beach off Kahuku, where he has been surfing since he was 12, ironic.

“The water can be the biggest giver or the biggest taker, depending on the day,” he said. “So never take the sea for granted. And honestly, if it could happen to Tamayo, it can happen to anyone.”

Perry leaves behind his wife Emilia and his father, Blitzer said.

His acting roles include “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” as well as television series such as “Lost” and the modern version of “Hawaii: Five-O.”