‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor Tomayo Perry survived close-quarters attacks before shark attack

Hawaiian surfing legend and Pirates of the Caribbean actor Tomayo Perry has survived countless dangerous situations during his decades-long career on the waves, but he didn’t expect to fall victim to one of the dangers the rarest of all: a man-eating shark.

“It’s like knowing you could get in a car and have a car accident,” Tomayo’s grieving wife, Emilia Perry, said of shark attacks. “You don’t do it, you don’t do it, you don’t do it, and then you do it.”

Tomayo last paddled his surfboard shortly after noon last Sunday and never returned. Local surfers soon found his body in the water with a missing arm and leg, and he was later pronounced dead following a shark attack.

He spent decades surfing and providing rescue at some of the world’s most dangerous beaches, and was no stranger to risks during his years on the water.

“He hit his head in 2004 and he received 50 stitches and 25 staples,” Emilia said, recounting incidents in which errant surfboards split Tamayo’s head inches from his temple , or a wipeout where he resurfaced with a gash in his leg just millimeters from his femoral artery. .

But shark attacks, which are “extremely rare” according to Hawaiian wildlife officials, were never a serious concern for Tomayo compared to other risks for serious surfers.

“We all talk about it, but if you like surfing, it’s not going to stop you from paddling,” said Jesse King, 37, a lifeguard who worked closely with Tomayo, 49, for years.

Emilia said Tomayo was also a “ham” and a “class clown” — a fun attitude that helped him land roles in movies and TV shows like Pirates of the Caribbean, Blue Crush, Hawaii Five-0 and one on Charlie’s Angels where he played himself.

“We had a lot of fun. It was great. He had a really beautiful and fulfilling life. It was really fun. We were laughing constantly,” Emilia said.

The couple met in 1998 while surfing Banzai Pipeline, a reef on the North Shore known for producing one of the most dangerous waves in the world. After surfing professionally around the world for several years, Tomayo returned to Pipeline in 2016 to become a full-time lifeguard at the dangerous beach.

“He made many rescues. He withdrew his best friends. He brought out strangers. None of this is easy, it’s very heroic work,” Emilia said, remembering how he would pray out loud for people on the beach if they needed CPR.

“It’s crazy – every time Tomayo worked on a CPR case, they came back,” she said.

It was actions like those that occurred on one of the world’s greatest surfing beaches that made Tomayo’s death resonate around the world.

“The North Shore is a tight-knit community, but it’s actually a huge surfing community,” Emilia said.

“Because in the world of surfing, you travel everywhere, you meet surfers, you are friends with surfers from Australia, from all over the world.”

She recalled her husband as “larger than life,” while Jesse and other friends agreed he was an “extraordinary person.”

“He was full of life, full of passion in everything he did. He never did anything with partial effort. He did everything full throttle all the time,” Jesse said. “No matter what room he was in, he brought the light with him. He always just made time for you.”

Emilia said she remembers the last moment she saw her husband alive.

“It was like another beautiful day,” she said. “He woke up, gave me a bunch of kisses, said goodbye, I love you. Then he went to work and didn’t come home.”