'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor, lifeguard Tamayo Perry dies from apparent shark attack
"Pirates of the Caribbean" actor and lifeguard Tamayo Perry has died at age 49 after an apparent shark attack.
The Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Perry's death in an email to USA TODAY on Monday. The cause and manner of death are pending autopsy results, the agency reported.
The attack reportedly occurred off the island of Oahu, Hawaii, on Sunday afternoon, authorities told The Associated Press and CNN.
The Honolulu Ocean Safety department and other responders arrived on the North Shore of Oahu to find Perry, who was an ocean safety lifeguard, after a call came in about a man in the water who appeared to be fatally injured by a shark attack. Emergency responders pronounced him dead on the scene, authorities told the outlets.
USA TODAY has reached out to Honolulu Emergency Services and Honolulu Ocean Safety for comment.
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Honolulu Ocean Safety Acting Chief Kurt Lager told The Associated Press that Perry was "a lifeguard loved by all."
"He's a professional surfer known worldwide," Lager said at a news conference, according to the outlet. "Tamayo's personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more."
Perry "exemplified bravery, commitment and a deep sense of duty, serving our community with unwavering dedication. His heroic actions and tireless efforts to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors will never be forgotten," Hawaii Mayor Rick Blangiardi told CNN in a statement.
Perry starred as a buccaneer in 2011's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and an episode of "Hawaii Five-0" as Spike. He also starred as Tamayo in the 2002 film "Blue Crush" and did stunt work for the 2004 Owen Wilson and Morgan Freeman film "The Big Bounce."
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Shark attacks are considered rare. The Florida Museum, a state natural history museum, puts the odds of being attacked by a shark at 1 in 11.5 million.
How common are shark attacksin the US? Take a close look at the latest data.
Worldwide, there were 69 unprovoked shark bites on humans in 2023, and 36 of them were in the U.S. Two of the 36 were fatal: one in Hawaii, the other in California. Florida saw 16 shark attacks, more than any other state, just like in previous years, according to The International Shark Attack File report of the Florida Museum.
In 2023, there was a 12.2% decrease in shark bites compared with 2022.
Contributing: Janet Loehrke