Tamayo Perry, who once appeared in a Pirates of the Caribbean film, has been killed in a shark attack while surfing off the shores of Oahu.
Perry, 49, was found off Mālaekahana Beach on Oahu’s North Shore by local surfers with an arm and a leg missing, according to Stab Magazine.
First responders said he appeared to have suffered ‘more than one possible shark bite.’
Lifeguards then brought Perry to shore by jetski and paramedics pronounced him dead, officials said in a news conference.
Ocean Safety personnel posted shark warnings in the area following the attack.
Perry started surfing at the age of 12, and by the time he was a teenager, he was considered the ‘quiet up-and-coming local boy who had to borrow surfboards because he had no sponsors,’ according to The Encyclopedia of Surfing.
‘By 1997, the wiry goofy-footer had gone a long way to developing a tube riding style, combining traits from Gerry Lopez and Tom Carroll, his two favourite old-school Pipeline surfers,’ it says.
Two years later, Perry would win the Pipeline Masters, and by 2005, Perry was widely regarded as one of Pipeline’s most prominent surfers – gaining attention for his smile and casual poise as he battled large waves.
His charisma and skills also landed him roles in the 2002 hit Blue Crush, Lost, the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Hawaii Five-0.
