Tamayo Perry, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Actor and Surfer, Dead at 49

Professional surfer Tamayo Perry — familiar to fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise — has died after suffering a shark attack in Hawaii. 

According to the Associated Press, lifeguards brought Perry back to shore by jet ski after a caller reported a man who appeared to have been bitten by a shark. The Oahu native reportedly worked as a lifeguard on the north shore of the Hawaiian island, where authorities responded. Perry was 49 years old. 

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

In a biography shared on his surfing school’s website, Perry recalled surviving a “freak accident that turned into a near-fatal experience” while surfing the Pipeline in Hawaii. “The incident happened all because of someone [else’s] lack of awareness,” he wrote. “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 took his talents to the big screen as a stuntman in The Big Bounce. His acting resume included Blue Crush, Hawaii Five-O, and an uncredited role as a buccaneer in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. According to his biography, he also appeared in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle and Lost. 

In December 2023, he and wife Emilia Perry celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary. “Not many on this planet have been lucky enough to encounter a rare unicorn or spot an elusive mermaid in the wild. Even fewer have been blessed by wooing a unicorn or a mermaid over, as to where you can call her your very own. I am an extremely blessed man, for I have done just that,” he wrote in an Instagram tribute at the time. “I have indeed discovered the rarest & most precious creature of all & she’s all mine. 22 years married to this very day & still counting the #wonderful #memories we share daily. Intelligent, wise, creative, energetic🤦, loving, beautiful & most important of all, you Love Jesus. Which means you’re stuck with me for eternity.”

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