Pirates of the Caribbean star Tamayo Perry was mauled to death in a shark attack on Sunday while surfing off Goat Island, also known as Mokuauia, near Laie, Hawaii, which is about 32 miles north of Honolulu.
Lifeguards brought Perry to shore by jet ski, and paramedics assisted with the death announcement. Ocean Safety personnel posted shark warnings in the area following the attack.
Perry starred in major blockbusters including Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. He previously made an appearance in the 2002 Hollywood hit, Blue Crush and had a role in Hawaii Five-0.
Pirates of the Caribbean star was a pipeline surfer and lifeguard
Perry was also a longtime pipeline surfer and lifeguard. He was teaching surfing lessons at the time of his tragic death.
“Tamayo Perry was a lifeguard loved by all, well-known on the North Shore, a professional surfer known worldwide around the world,” said Acting Ocean Safety Chief Kurt Lager in a statement.
Born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii, Perry made his surfing name with his brilliant skills at the Pipeline, becoming champion at the Pipe Masters Trials in 1999. He also gained fame for his great surfing at Teahupoo in Tahiti, where he traveled with his wife Emilia, a skilled bodyboarder.
Mayor Rick Blangiardi called Perry’s death a “tragic loss,” describing the late star as a highly respected “legendary waterman.” He said: “It’s just really hard to imagine, so we just want to pay our respects to our guys. I hope everyone wishes the family the best honors and respects the situation.”
Shark attacks worldwide
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File investigated 120 alleged shark-human interactions worldwide in 2023. ISAF confirmed 69 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 22 provoked bites.
Of the remaining 29 cases, nine involved bites to motorized or non-motorized marine vessels (“boat bites”), and two involved shark-inflicted post-mortem bites (“scavenge”).
One case was classified as “no assignment could be made.” Sixteen cases were classified as unconfirmed. These include cases where injuries could not be unambiguously attributed to a shark bite. These collectively include bites from other predatory fishes such as blue fish, cuts from sharp items in the water and cases where the victim’s body is not recovered, as in some drowning cases.
Consistent with long-term trends, the United States recorded the most unprovoked shark bites in 2023, with 36 confirmed cases. This is slightly lower than the 41 incidents recorded in 2022. The 36 cases represent 52 percent of the worldwide total.
Australia‘s total of 15 unprovoked incidents is in line with the five-year annual average of 15 incidents for the region. Seven of these occurred in western Australia, one of which was fatal (bull shark), and five bites occurred in South Australia, three of which were fatal (all white sharks). One bite was recorded for Queensland, for New South Wales and for Tasmania over the year.
Related: The Deadliest Decade for Shark Attacks in Greece
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
