Tamayo Perry, the professional surfer and actor who died in an apparent shark attack off the north shore of Oahu on Monday, was remembered as a “legendary boatman” and a man of faith by his colleagues and family.
Here's what you should know about him and the circumstances surrounding his death:
Who was he?
The 49-year-old was a professional surfer, lifeguard and stuntman who also appeared in the splashy films “Blue Crush,” “Charlie's Angels 2” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” as well as the television series “Hawaii.” Five-0” and “Lost.”
“When I'm not acting, I'm still quite the character, so there's always a lot of fun to be had,” he said in his official biography on the website of his company, Oahu Surfing Experience.
Perry, who was born and raised in a small rural O'ahu town east of the North Shore, was “a gentleman forged in the North Shore fires of the '90s,” his family said. He also co-founded and offered surf lessons through Oahu Surfing Experience with his wife Emilia and worked as a lifeguard on the North Shore. He began his career in the Department of Ocean Safety in July 2016.
“Tamayo Perry was a lifeguard loved by everyone. He was well known on the north coast. He is a professional surfer known around the world,” Honolulu Ocean Safety Acting Chief Kurt Lager said at a news conference. “Tamayo's personality was contagious and, as much as people loved him, he loved others more.
Before that, he surfed professionally for over 15 years. He boasted that he got paid to surf Pipeline, which he described as “the deadliest wave in the world,” according to his professional biography.
He launched himself onto the world stage by winning the prestigious Pipeline Masters trials in 1999, opening the door for a “small-time island boy” to keep up with the world's best in the Pipe Masters competition. He later competed in Tahupoo, Tahiti, against Andy Irons, Kelly Slater and Vetea David in the industry-announced “Super Final.”
The surfer said a “freak accident that turned into a near-fatal experience” at Pipeline eventually led him to teaching; His goal was to instill “proper surfing etiquette and safety” in those he taught.
What happened?
Local authorities said Perry was surfing at Lake Mālaekahana Beach, near an area known as Goat Island on Oahu's northeast coast, and died Sunday afternoon in the attack.
Honolulu Ocean Safety and the city's fire, police and emergency medical services departments responded to the beach just before 1:00 p.m. after a caller reported seeing a man who appeared to have suffered “more than a shark bite,” Shayne Enright of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Services. she said Monday in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. Lifeguards brought Perry to shore by jet ski and paramedics assisted with the pronouncement of death.
After the incident, Ocean Safety staff posted shark warnings in the area, Enright said.
The official cause of his death has not yet been announced and it is unclear what type of shark attacked him.
How common are shark attacks in that area?
Perry's death is reported to be the ninth fatal shark attack in Hawaii in the past 20 years, Honolulu News Now reported Monday. His is said to be the only death in that time that has not occurred in waters off the island of Maui.
The actor's death was one of four shark incidents in Hawaii this year, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Only about a dozen of the more than 300 shark species have been involved in human attacks, the National Ocean Service said, and those attacks usually occur when the shark is confused or curious.
Although attacks remain statistically rare, annual shark attacks and human deaths increased in 2023, according to the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida. ISAF, a global shark attack database, reported in February that 69 unprovoked cases were confirmed worldwide last year, 10 of which were fatal. That figure aligns with the most recent five-year average (between 2018 and 2022) of 63 incidents per year.
One potential factor in the increase is climate change, researchers have said, but the increase could also be due to a combination of more people in the ocean each year and a greater emphasis on reporting stings and deaths.
Perry, who described himself as a “Jaws” fan, wrote on Facebook in 2015 that “sharks scare me” and that “only the Lord can tell when it's your time.” In another post, he said he could sense when sharks were nearby while he was surfing, the Daily Beast reported.
What have Perry's family and colleagues said?
Hawaii's Tamayo Perry in action during the third round of the 2003 Billabong Pro Trials in Teahupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
(Pierre Tostee/Getty Images)
In a statement to the Times that was later posted on social media, Perry's family commemorated him as a “hero.”
“He was everyone's big brother, stern and uncompromising with an infectious smile and kolohe. He was your savior in times of need, your security when everything fell apart. He was a knight forged in the fires of the North Shore in the '90s, his faith in Christ the rock upon which he stood. There are few who truly follow in the footsteps of Jesus. “Tamayo never took his eyes off the road,” the statement said.
“As tragic as his passing may be, he left this world doing what he loved and where he loved to do it. We find strength in knowing that he is in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ, exchanging barrels at Pipeline with his friends who came before him.”
How the surf world reacted
Oahu's ocean community is said to be recovering from the attack. An informal memorial for Perry was set up on Monday near his lifeguard post at Banzai Pipeline, according to Hawaii News Now. There, his longtime colleague, Lt. Dave Wassel of the Honolulu Ocean Department, spoke about the “unique situation” the community had been “thrown” into.
“There's nothing in the manual about how to navigate this,” Wassel told the news station. “Today there are people alive thanks to the successful CPR that has been performed on them. “It's something you can't say about a lot of people, so it's great to see.”
In a statement to the Times, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said Perry “exemplified courage, commitment and a deep sense of duty, serving our community with unwavering dedication.”
“Their heroic actions and tireless efforts to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors will never be forgotten,” the mayor said. “As we mourn this unimaginable loss, we remember the inherent risks our lifeguards face daily and extend our deepest gratitude for their service.”
The World Surf League tweeted its condolences to Perry's family as it mourned the “beloved icon”, who was a member of the league for many years.
His legacy
While the family asked for privacy, his wife has since organized a GoFundMe fundraiser titled “Supporting Tamayo Perry's Legacy.” The campaign launched Monday with the goal of raising $100,000. As of Tuesday afternoon, it had surpassed $38,000.
His company said it would announce a celebration of life later.
