Tamayo Perry death: Surfing legend and Pirates of the Caribbean star dies in shark attack, aged 49

Surfer Tamayo Perry, who once appeared in a Pirates of the Carribbean film, has died after he was attacked by a shark while surfing in Hawaii on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Perry, 49, was found with several shark bites after the attack near Goat Island, on Oahu, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said.

His body was found at 1pm and lifeguards brought him to shore by jet ski. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is understood that he was surfing during a break from his job as a lifeguard when the attack happened.

Shark warnings were posted in the area by Ocean Safety personnel following the attack.

Mr Perry was born in 1975 in Oahu and began surfing at the age of 12. By the time he was a teenager he was seen as a future star in the surfing scene.

According to the Encyclopedia of Surfing: “Perry was known in his late teenage years as the quiet up-and-coming local boy who had to borrow surfboards because he had no sponsors.

“By 1997, the wiry goofyfooter had gone a long way to developing a tuberiding style combining traits from Gerry Lopez and Tom Carroll, his two favorite old-school Pipeline surfers.”

In 1999 he won the prestigious Pipeline Master trials and would sporadically compete in events for the rest of his career.

He was a devout Christian and said the last two books he read were the Bible and The End: 50 Reasons Why Jesus Christ Could Return Before the Year 2000, according to Surfer magazine.

Mr Perry later starred in a number of major Hollywood blockbusters such as Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and 2002 surfing Blue Crush.

He went on to make appearances on TV show Lost and Hawaii Five-0 as well as appear in a number of surfing videos.

At the time of his death he was working as a lifeguard and surfing instructor at Oahu Surfing Experience.

In a biography on the the Oahu Surfing Experience website, Mr Perry said: I’ve gained a tremendous amount of knowledge, not only from what I’ve accomplished, but also from what I’ve suffered.

“A number of years ago while surfing Pipeline on the Extra Large size, I was involved in a freak accident that turned into a near-fatal experience. The incident happened all because of someone elses lack of awareness.

“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.”

He began his career with the Ocean Safety department in July 2016 working as a lifeguard.

Honolulu Ocean Safety acting chief Kurt Lager said Mr Perry was “a lifeguard loved by all.”

“He’s well known on the North Shore. He’s a professional surfer known worldwide,” Lager said at a news conference. “Tamayo’s personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more.”

“Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected,” Honolulu mayor Rick Blangiardi said, calling Perry’s death “a tragic loss.”