Tamayo Perry, Professional Surfer, Dies After Shark Attack Off Oahu

A lifeguard and professional surfer who grew up on the beaches of Oahu, Hawaii, cementing himself as a local celebrity both in the water and in film and television appearances, died on Sunday after he was attacked by a shark while surfing, the authorities said.

The surfer, Tamayo Perry, 49, was a lifeguard for Honolulu Ocean Safety who made acting appearances in the fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie and in the television series “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-0.”

He was pronounced dead after rescuers brought him ashore, Shayne Enright, a spokeswoman for the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, said in a statement.

Mr. Perry had been surfing near Goat Island off the northeast shore of Oahu when a 911 call came just before 1 p.m. for what appeared to be a fatal shark attack, the statement said.

The 911 caller said the man’s body appeared to have suffered multiple shark bites. Lifeguards brought the body to land on Malaekahana Beach, where Mr. Perry was pronounced dead, Ms. Enright said.

Mr. Perry won the Pipeline Masters trials in 1999, securing him a spot in the main event where he upset the No. 1 world title contender in the world’s most famous waves.

He also competed in the Billabong Pro Teahupoo in Tahiti, where he went up against greats like Kelly Slater and Andy Irons, finishing fifth.

According to the Encyclopedia of Surfing, Mr. Perry developed a unique tube-riding style that was influenced by the renowned surfers Gerry Lopez and Tom Carroll, who also surfed Pipeline, a surf break on Oahu that is considered to be one of the best in the world.

The surfing magazine Stab described Mr. Perry as “one of the most durable and committed pipeline specialists of all time.”

Mr. Perry joined the Honolulu Ocean Safety as a lifeguard in 2016, according to officials.

Mr. Perry also pursued a career in Hollywood, playing himself in the 2002 surfing movie “Blue Crush” and a small role in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (2011). He was a stuntman on “The Big Bounce” (2004).

“Besides surfing, another huge passion of mine is acting,” Mr. Perry wrote on his website. “When I’m not acting, I’m still quite a character, so there’s always a ton of fun to be had.”

Mr. Perry was born on April 15, 1975, on Oahu and grew up in a small town just east of the North Shore.

His mother, Marlene Louise “Kai” Cunningham, of Laie, Hawaii, was a teacher. She died in 2022.

Mr. Perry is survived by his wife, Emilia Perry, a fellow surfer and body boarder who taught surfing with Mr. Perry, and two brothers, Mario Gardner and Mark Gardner. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

“Tamayo Perry was a lifeguard loved by all,” Kurt Lager, acting chief of the Ocean Safety Department, said at a news conference on Sunday. “Tamayo’s personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more.”

The mayor of Honolulu, Rick Blangiardi, described Mr. Perry as “a legendary waterman.”

It was unclear what kind of shark attacked Mr. Perry.

According to the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources, whitetip reef, sandbar, scalloped hammerhead, and occasionally tiger sharks are the most frequently encountered sharks in Hawaii’s waters.

Ocean Safety has posted shark warnings in the area where Mr. Perry was killed.

Shark attacks are rare, and there have been three previous shark encounters across the state so far this year, according to the department’s list of shark incidents, which shows that nine people, including Mr. Perry, have died from shark attacks in Hawaii since 1995.

A 39-year-old surfer died in December after suffering a shark bite off Maui.