Tamayo Perry, a 49-year-old professional surfer, lifeguard, and occasional actor, died after being attacked by a shark while surfing near Goat Island off the island of Oahu in Hawaii on Sunday afternoon.
Honolulu Ocean Safety and other emergency services responded to the incident at Mālaekahana Beach on Oahu’s North Shore just before 1 pm after receiving a report of a surfer who had suffered fatal shark bites, according to CBS News.
Lifeguards brought Perry to shore by jet ski, and paramedics assisted with the death pronouncement.
Perry worked as a lifeguard on the North Shore since July 2016. AP quoted Brendan Buckley, the editor of Stab Magazine, saying that Perry was a highly respected surfer known for his expertise in riding the dangerous waves of the Pipeline off Oahu’s North Shore. “For a while, he was one of the top, top, top people out there,” Buckley said.
“He got some of the craziest waves of his era. He was insanely respected by obviously everybody there and everybody around the world for what he did,” he added.
Perry and his wife, Emilia, operated the Oahu Surfing Experience, offering surfing lessons. Emilia, a former professional bodyboarder from western Australia, met Tamayo when she was bodyboarding out to a Pipeline wave. Together, they shared a passion for the ocean and surfing.
Honolulu Ocean Safety and other emergency services responded to the incident at Mālaekahana Beach on Oahu’s North Shore just before 1 pm after receiving a report of a surfer who had suffered fatal shark bites, according to CBS News.
Lifeguards brought Perry to shore by jet ski, and paramedics assisted with the death pronouncement.
Perry worked as a lifeguard on the North Shore since July 2016. AP quoted Brendan Buckley, the editor of Stab Magazine, saying that Perry was a highly respected surfer known for his expertise in riding the dangerous waves of the Pipeline off Oahu’s North Shore. “For a while, he was one of the top, top, top people out there,” Buckley said.
“He got some of the craziest waves of his era. He was insanely respected by obviously everybody there and everybody around the world for what he did,” he added.
Perry and his wife, Emilia, operated the Oahu Surfing Experience, offering surfing lessons. Emilia, a former professional bodyboarder from western Australia, met Tamayo when she was bodyboarding out to a Pipeline wave. Together, they shared a passion for the ocean and surfing.
Perry also had a few small acting roles, including appearances in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and an episode of “Hawaii Five-0.”
Following the tragic incident, Ocean Safety personnel posted shark warnings in the area. The surfing community mourns the loss of a respected and accomplished surfer who dedicated his life to the sport and sharing his knowledge with others.