A professional lifeguard lost his life after a shark attacked him while he was surfing off Oahu in Hawaii on Sunday afternoon, according to authorities.
The victim, Tamayo Perry, aged 49, was attacked near Goat Island, confirmed Shayne Enright of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department in a statement. Perry was a City and County of Honolulu Ocean Safety lifeguard.
Responders from Honolulu Ocean Safety, along with fire, police, and emergency medical services, arrived at Mālaekahana Beach on Oahu’s North Shore just before 1 p.m. A caller had reported seeing a man with apparent shark bite injuries, said Enright.
Lifeguards used a jet ski to bring Perry to shore, where paramedics confirmed his death, according to Enright.
Perry, who served as a lifeguard on the North Shore, started his career with the Ocean Safety department in July 2016, Enright noted.
Following the attack, Ocean Safety personnel issued shark warnings in the area, Enright added.
Honolulu Ocean Safety Acting Chief Kurt Lager expressed that Perry was “a lifeguard loved by all.”
“He was well known on the North Shore and a professional surfer recognized worldwide,” Lager stated at a news conference. “Tamayo had an infectious personality, and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more.”
