Tamayo Perry: Pirates of the Caribbean star killed in shark attack

Born on the east side of Oahu, Perry had been surfing professionally for over a decade.

In a blurb on the Oahu Surfing Experience, external, where he was an instructor, he described his experiences surfing "the world's deadliest wave".

"This small time island boy can bang it out with the world's best," he wrote.

He also said that several years ago, he was involved in "a freak accident that turned into a near-fatal experience".

Perry didn't elaborate on what the incident had involved, but said it happened because of someone else's "lack of awareness".

Acting Honolulu Ocean Safety chief Kurt Lager said Perry was "a lifeguard loved by all", adding that he was well known on Oahu's north shore as well as around the world.

"Tamayo's personality was infectious, and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more."

He added: "Our condolences go out to Tamayo's family."

Mayor Rick Blangiardi echoed Lager's sentiments, calling Perry's death "a tragic loss".

Addressing the press conference, he said: "Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected, [he] grew up right over here, and just a great member of our ocean safety team."

He said getting a call like that on a Sunday afternoon was "hard to imagine", and called on Perry's family to be given privacy to grieve.