Pirates of the Caribbean actor Tamayo Perry has died after a shark attack in Hawaii.
Perry, who also featured in Blue Crush and Hawaii Five-0, was surfing at Malaekahana Beach on Oahu when the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon.
Perry had been surfing near Mokuauia, close to Laie, Hawaii. He was discovered dead around 1 PM. An eyewitness reported seeing a man with severe shark bite injuries off Malaekahana Beach near Kahuku. Perry’s body had multiple shark bite wounds.
Local emergency services reported receiving a call at 1 pm about a person “fatally injured by a shark” and used a jetski to recover Perry’s body from the water.
Honolulu Ocean Safety acting chief Kurt Lager stated at a press conference that Perry was a beloved lifeguard and professional surfer known worldwide and throughout Oahu’s North Shore. “Tamayo’s personality was infectious, and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more,” Lager said, extending condolences to Perry’s family.
In Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth instalment starring Penélope Cruz and Johnny Depp, Perry played a buccaneer. He also worked as a stunt performer in the Owen Wilson surfing movie The Big Bounce, based on Elmore Leonard’s novel.
Mayor Rick Blangiardi described Perry’s death as “a tragic loss,” saying, “Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected, [he] grew up right over here, and was a valued member of our ocean safety team.” Blangiardi urged the public and press to “honour and respect” Perry’s family during their time of grief.
Despite their high media profile, there were only 69 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide last year, 10 of which were fatal, according to the 2023 International Shark Attack File by the Florida Museum of Natural History. Florida had the highest number of unprovoked shark attacks with 16, none of which were fatal.
