A Hawaii lifeguard was killed Sunday after being attacked by a shark while surfing off the coast of Oahu, authorities said.
Tamayo Perry, 49, a lifeguard with the City and County of Honolulu Ocean Safety Department, died after being bitten by a shark near Goat Island, Shane Enright of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Services said in a statement. Associated Press.
Enright said officers from the Honolulu Ocean Safety Office and the city’s fire, police and emergency medical services departments were called to Malaekahana Beach on Oahu’s North Shore shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday after a man reported having been bitten by a shark.
Enright said lifeguards used a jet ski to pull Perry to shore, where paramedics pronounced him dead.
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Tamayo Perry was also a professional surfer. This photo shows Perry surfing during the third round of the Billabong Pro Trials at Teahupū, Tahiti, French Polynesia, on May 4, 2003. (Steve Robertson/Getty Images)
Enright said Marine Safety Bureau officials had posted a shark watch in the area after the attack on Perry.
Perry began his career in the marine safety division in July 2016, Enright said.
A Hawaii lifeguard was killed Sunday after being attacked by a shark while surfing off the coast of Oahu. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones)
Honolulu Ocean Safety Bureau acting director Kurt Lager described Perry as a lifeguard who was “beloved by all.”
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Tamayo Perry, 49, was pronounced dead by paramedics. (Nick Caple/Fox News Digital)
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“He was well known on the North Shore,” Lager said at a press conference. “He was a world-renowned professional surfer. Tamayo’s personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved others even more.”
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi called Perry’s death a “tragic loss.”
“Mr. Tamayo was a legendary sailor and highly respected,” the mayor said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
