Pirates of the Caribbean Actor Tamayo Perry Dead at 49 After Shark Attack in Hawaii
Honolulu is mourning the loss of a beloved community member.
Pirates of the Caribbean alum and local lifeguard Tamayo Perry died in a fatal shark attack while surfing off the coast of Oahu June 23, first responders confirmed in a press conference. He was 49.
"Tamayo Perry was a lifeguard loved by all," Acting Chief of the Ocean Safety Department Kurt Lager said during the June 23 press conference. "He was well known on the North Shore. He was a professional surfer known worldwide. Tamayo's personality was infections, and we much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more."
"Our condolences go out to Tamayo's family," he continued, asking people respect their privacy. "And the entire lifeguard ohana."
During the press conference, Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokesperson Shayne Enright provided additional details, noting emergency services responded to a 911 call regarding a surfer who had been fatally injured in a shark attack. Honolulu Ocean Safety responded on jet skis, bringing Perry to shore where EMS carried "assisted with his death pronouncement."
He had been working with the Ocean Safety department as a lifeguard since 2016, the AP reported, and had been a professional surfer for over a decade.
His first credited role, per IMDB, was in 2002's Blue Crush, and he also appeared in an episode of Hawaii Five-0 as well as in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean installment, On Stranger Tides.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi also spoke to Perry's presence on the island during the press conference. "It's just a tragic loss," he told cameras. "Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected. He grew up right over here, and he was just a great member of our Ocean Safety team."
Perry is survived by his wife Emilia Perry, with whom he celebrated 22 years of marriage in December.
"I have indeed discovered the rarest & most precious creature of all & she's all mine," Perry captioned his post at the time, which featured a number of photos of the two together. "22 years married to this very day & still counting the #wonderful #memories we share daily. Intelligent, wise, creative, energetic, loving, beautiful. Which means you're stuck with me for eternity."
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