Authorities in Hawaii have confirmed that a beloved lifeguard was attacked by sharks while surfing off the island of Oahu on Sunday afternoon. He didn’t survive.
The lifeguard, Tamayo Perry, from the Honolulu Ocean Safety program, passed away following the horrific event that happened close to Goat Island. Sheriff Shayne Enright of the Honolulu Fire Department verified this tragic news.
Just before 1 p.m., the Honolulu Ocean Safety team, together with the city’s fire, police, and emergency medical services departments, hurried to Mālaekahana Beach on the North Shore of Oahu. Enright added that a worried caller had seen a guy who seemed to have shark bites, which caused them to spring into immediate action.
Lifeguards arrived aboard a jet ski, and paramedics were present to help Perry. He was declared dead at the scene, as reported by Enright.
According to Enright, Perry, who starred in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film and worked as a lifeguard on the North Shore, began working with the Ocean Safety department in July 2016.
Following the shark frenzy, representatives from Ocean Safety put up warning signs, alerting people of the deadly shark activity in the water.
Lifeguard Perry was much loved, according to Acting Chief Kurt Lager of Honolulu Ocean Safety. The North Shore holds him in high esteem. Lager was a professional surfer with international renown. The charismatic Tamayo had an extraordinary talent for making other people love him more than they loved themselves.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi characterized Perry’s death as “a devastating tragedy.”
This Hawaiian was born in 1975 and started surfing when he was just 12 years old. Due to the lack of sponsors, he had to borrow surfboards frequently, but he swiftly became known as a promising local talent, according to the Encyclopedia of Surfing.
After studying the techniques of legendary Pipeline surfers Gerry Lopez and Tom Carroll, the surfer made great strides in 1997 toward perfecting a tube riding style.
The Pipeline Masters Trials are an annual surfing tournament held in Oahu. After two years, Perry finally won.
As one of the best surfers in his area in 2005, he gained widespread acclaim.
Perry is survived by his wife, Emilia.
