Actor and surfer Tamayo Perry shared numerous social media posts about sharks before he was killed by one on Sunday (June 23).
Perry, 49, who appeared in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, was found with several shark bites after he was attacked near Goat Island, on Oahu, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
In July 2015, Perry wrote on Facebook about the moment surfer Mick Fanning was attacked by two sharks in South Africa.
“The incident with Mick at J-Bay is a great indication that Jesus mercy is more then sufficient [sic],” Perry, who was a devout Christian, wrote.
“Regardless, sharks freak me out and I'm glad the Good Lord had Mick's back today. Only the Lord can say when it's your time.”
In a June 2019 post, Perry eerily suggested that he could sense the presence of sharks in the water.
“Can people smell sharks around??? I don’t know if it’s my imagination but I swear I can smell when they’re around,” he wrote.
After his death, one of Perry’s friends told The Daily Beast that the surfer “always alluded to the fact that he has seen them and felt their presence.”
It is understood that Perry was surfing during a break from his job as a lifeguard when the attack happened. The type of shark that attacked him is not yet known.
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In 1999 Perry won the prestigious Pipeline Master trials and would sporadically compete in surfing events for the rest of his career.
He went on to star in a number of Hollywood productions such as the 2002 surfing drama, Blue Crush.
In 2011, he portrayed one of the buccaneers in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the franchise.
He also made TV appearances in popular shows including Lost and Hawaii Five-0.
He began his career with the Ocean Safety Department in July 2016 working as a lifeguard. Honolulu Ocean Safety acting chief Kurt Lager said Mr Perry was “a lifeguard loved by all.”
“He’s well known on the North Shore. He’s a professional surfer known worldwide,” Lager said at a news conference. “Tamayo’s personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more.”
“Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected,” Honolulu mayor Rick Blangiardi said, calling Perry’s death “a tragic loss.”
