Surfer from “Pirates of the Caribbean” dies in shark attack

Tamayo Perry surfing in Hawaii in 2019.

BRIAN BIELMANN/AFP/Getty Images

A “legendary” surfer, lifeguard and actor from Honolulu who is in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchisee died this weekend after a shark attack, the city’s emergency management agency announced at a press conference where the sad tone was interrupted by hymns of praise for the famous and popular local.

Tamayo Perry died in the attack near Goat Island on Sunday, according to Shayne Enright of the Honolulu ESD. Perry was 49 years old.

Just before 1 p.m. local time on Sunday, Honolulu Ocean Safety responded to emergency calls about a surfer being attacked at Mālaekahana Beach on Oahu’s North Shore. Enright said at a news conference after the tragedy that Honolulu Ocean Safety responders rode jet skis to the scene of the attack; they were unable to help Perry when they arrived and returned to shore with Perry’s body. When they were brought to the beach, Perry was pronounced dead by Honolulu paramedics.

Perry’s body showed signs of having been bitten more than once by the shark that eventually killed him. He was missing a leg and an arm, so Surfers today.

“This is an extremely difficult time for all of us. I ask for your kindness and patience as we all try to get through this next hour and the weeks and months to come,” Enright said.

Local officials had kind words for Perry, who is considered a local legend. Kurt Lager, deputy director of Honolulu Ocean Safety, said Perry was “a beloved lifeguard who was well known on the North Shore. He is a world-renowned professional surfer.”

“Tamayo’s personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more,” Lager added. He then reiterated the request for privacy for Perry’s family.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi also spoke about Perry’s life and death at the press conference.

“It’s just a tragic loss. Tamayo was a legendary and highly respected waterman. He grew up here and was just a great member of our Ocean Safety Team. To get a call like this on a Sunday afternoon is really hard to imagine,” the mayor added.

Surfers today reports that Perry was born in 1975 and grew up on the east side of Oahu, where he first jumped on a surfboard at age 12. One of his closest friends during his teenage years was musician Jack Johnson, according to the publication. Perry rose to fame as a master of the pipeline, or surfing through the large hollow water waves that can form on reefs. Over the years, he competed in events such as the Billabong Pro Trials and the Pipe Masters Trials, where he won the winner’s prize, the magazine reports.

Perry’s role in the hugely popular Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise was a notable moment in his on-screen career, which includes appearances in the 2002 surf film starring a woman Blue Swarm and in the CBS series Hawaii Five-0 and stunts in comedy The big leap.

According to a biography on the Oahu Surfing Experience website, Perry and his wife Emilia were the owners and instructors.

“As Hawaiian Island natives and former professional athletes, we are well-known and loved here on Oahu and especially in the North Shore community,” the website states. Potential students know that their connections to the community and surf scene will make it easier for them to enter the world of surfing on the North Shore.

After his death, Ocean Safety staff posted warning signs on the beach about possible sharks in the water.

Perry’s Instagram account shows that he had a deep appreciation for the ocean and the beach in life.