City lifeguard confirmed dead from shark attack on the North Shore
COURTESY EMILIA PERRY
Honolulu Ocean Safety lifeguard Tamayo Perry is pictured with his wife, Emilia Perry. Tamayo Perry has been confirmed to have died from injuries suffered from a shark attack.
COURTESY HONOLULU EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Shark warning signs have been posted and Malaekahana State Recreation Area and the public have been warned to stay out of the water until Monday.
A city lifeguard was confirmed dead with injuries from a shark attack this afternoon on the North Shore, according to Shayne Enright, spokesperson for the Honolulu Emergency Medical Services and Honolulu Ocean Safety.
Honolulu police, Honolulu Fire Department and Honolulu Ocean Safety responded to the popular surfing area just before 1 p.m. today.
The victim has been identified as pro surfer and Honolulu Ocean Safety lifeguard Tamayo Perry, 49, who was pronounced dead at the scene and suffered injuries from more than one shark bite. He was surfing during a break from lifeguard duties in the waters off Goat Island, also known as Mokuauia, near Laie. He was brought in to shore by lifeguards via jetski.
Perry, who was born and raised on Oahu, had been surfing for more than 15 years and shared his passion by teaching others through Oahu Surfing Experience with his wife, Emilia Perry.
“As a devoted waterman, I’ve gained a tremendous amount of knowledge, not only from what I’ve accomplished, but also from what I’ve suffered,” according to his bio. “A number of years ago while surfing Pipeline on the Extra Large size, I was involved in a freak accident that turned into a near-fatal experience. The incident happened all because of someone elses lack of awareness. 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 joined Ocean Safety in July 2016 as a North Shore lifeguard and competed in the Pipeline Masters Trials.
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“In 1999, I was launched on to the world stage when winning the prestigious Pipeline Master trials,” Perry’s bio said. “This allowed me a spot in the main event where I was able to upset the No. 1 World Title Contender, showcasing my skills in some of the biggest, rawest wave conditions the Pipe Masters competition has ever seen.”
According to his bio, Perry was featured on multiple film and TV shows including “Blue Crush,” “Lost,” and “Hawaii Five-0.” He also appeared in ad campaigns for Nissan Xterra which aired during the NFL playoffs and the Winter Olympics, and a commercial for Coca-Cola.
Perry’s family has asked for privacy at this time.
Shark warning signs have been posted and Malaekahana State Recreation Area and the public have been warned to stay out of the water until Monday.
Honolulu Star-Advertiser staff Allison Schaefers and Diane S. W. Lee contributed to this report.
