What to know about Tamayo Perry, the actor and surfer who died in apparent shark attack

LOS ANGELES — Tamayo Perry, the pro surfer and actor who died in an apparent shark attack off Oahu's North Shore on Monday, was remembered as a "legendary waterman" and a man of faith by his colleagues and family.

Here's what to know about him and the circumstances surrounding his death:

Who was he?

The 49-year-old was a professional surfer, lifeguard and stuntman who also appeared in the splashy films "Blue Crush," "Charlie's Angels 2" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," as well as the TV series "Hawaii Five-0" and "Lost."

"When I'm not acting, I'm still quite a character, so there's always a ton of fun to be had," he said in his official bio on his company website Oahu Surfing Experience.

Perry, who was born and raised in a small country town on Oahu east of the North Shore, was "a knight forged in the fires of the North Shore in the '90s," his family said. He also co-founded and offered surf lessons through Oahu Surfing Experience with his wife Emilia and worked as a lifeguard on the North Shore. He began his career with the Ocean Safety department in July 2016.

"Tamayo Perry was a lifeguard loved by all. He was well-known on the North Shore. He's a professional surfer known worldwide," Honolulu Ocean Safety acting chief Kurt Lager said at a news conference. "Tamayo's personality was infectious, and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more.

Prior to that, he surfed professionally for more than 15 years. He boasted about being paid to surf the Pipeline, which he described as "the world's deadliest wave,"according to his professional bio.

He launched onto the world stage upon winning the prestigious Pipeline Masters trials in 1999, which opened the door for a "small time island boy" to keep up with the world's best at the Pipe Masters competition. He later competed in Tahupoo, Tahiti, against Andy Irons, Kelly Slater and Vetea David in the industry-billed "Super Final."

The surfer said that a "freak accident that turned into a near-fatal experience" at Pipeline ultimately led him to teaching — his goal was to instill "proper surf etiquette and safety" into those he instructed.

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