A well-known lifeguard from Hawaii, who was murdered by a shark attack while surfing off the North Shore of Oahu, was a former professional surfer who had also had acting credits, including a part in a “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.
According to a statement from Shayne Enright of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, Tamayo Perry, 49, passed away on Sunday close to Goat Island.
The definition of a professional in the sport can be ambiguous, so it’s unclear if Perry was the first surfer to die in a shark attack, according to Brendan Buckley, editor of the surfing website Stab Magazine.
“But he’s the first that I know of in terms of a high-level surfer that people around the world know and respect,” Buckley said to The Associated Press on Monday from his Portuguese office.
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Perry ran the Oahu Surfing Experience with his wife Emilia Perry, where they provided surfing instruction. Based on his bio on the company website, he surfed professionally for more than 15 years, with his victory in the 1999 Pipeline Master trials serving as a high point.
Surfers can ride a tube created by the Pipeline off the North Shore of Oahu for as long as they can. However, Buckley added, it’s also the deadliest wave on the planet, taking the lives of some of the top surfers worldwide. Perry claimed that surfing it turned into his expertise.
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