Professional surfer Tamayo Perry -- familiar to fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise -- has died after suffering a shark attack in Hawaii.
According to the Associated Press, lifeguards brought Perry back to shore by jet ski after a caller reported a man who appeared to have been bitten by a shark. The Oahu native reportedly worked as a lifeguard on the north shore of the Hawaiian island, where authorities responded. Perry was 49 years old.
"He's well known on the North Shore. He's a professional surfer known worldwide," Honolulu Ocean Safety Acting Chief Kurt Lager said at a news conference, per the AP. "Tamayo's personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more."
Tamayo Perry surfing the Pipeline in Hawaii in 2019.
In a biography shared on his surfing school's website, Perry recalled surviving a "freak accident that turned into a near-fatal experience" while surfing the Pipeline in Hawaii. "The incident happened all because of someone [else's] lack of awareness," he wrote. "The lessons I've taken from that event have inspired me to my goal of instilling proper surf etiquette and safety into those whom I teach."
Tamayo Perry appears in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in 2011.
He took his talents to the big screen as a stuntman in The Big Bounce. His acting resume included Blue Crush, Hawaii Five-O, and an uncredited role as a buccaneer in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. According to his biography, he also appeared in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and Lost.
In December 2023, he and wife Emilia Perry celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary. "Not many on this planet have been lucky enough to encounter a rare unicorn or spot an elusive mermaid in the wild. Even fewer have been blessed by wooing a unicorn or a mermaid over, as to where you can call her your very own. I am an extremely blessed man, for I have done just that," he wrote in an Instagram tribute at the time. "I have indeed discovered the rarest & most precious creature of all & she’s all mine. 22 years married to this very day & still counting the #wonderful #memories we share daily. Intelligent, wise, creative, energetic🤦, loving, beautiful & most important of all, you Love Jesus. Which means you’re stuck with me for eternity."
RELATED CONTENT:
