How Pirates of the Caribbean actor and surf legend Tomayo Perry survived countless close-calls before fatal shark attack

Hawaii surf legend and “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor Tomayo Perry survived countless close calls during his decades-long career on the waves — but he never expected to fall victim to one of the rarest-dangers of all: a man-eating shark.“It’s like knowing you could get in a car and get in a car accident,” Tomayo’s grieving wife, Emilia Perry, said of shark attacks.“You don’t, you don’t, you don’t, then you do.”Tomayo paddled out on his surfboard for the last time just after noon last Sunday and never came back.

Local surfers quickly found his body in the water with an arm and a leg missing, and he was later pronounced dead from a shark attack.He spent decades surfing and lifeguarding on some of the world’s most dangerous beaches, and was no stranger to peril during his years on the water.“He hit his head in 2004 and he got 50 stitches and 25 staples,” Emilia said, tallying off incidents where errant surfboards split Tamayo’s head inches from his temple, or a wipeout where he surfaced with a leg gash just millimeters from his femoral artery.But shark attacks — which are “extremely rare” according to Hawaii wildlife officials — were never a serious concern for Tomayo compared to the other risks for serious surfers.“We all talk about it, but if you love surfing it’s not gonna stop you from paddling out,” said Jesse King, 37, a lifeguard who worked closely with 49-year-old Tomayo for years.Emilia said Tomayo was also a “ham” and a “class clown” — a fun-loving attitude which helped him land roles in movies and TV shows like Pirates of the Caribbean, Blue Crush, Hawaii Five-0, and one in Charlie’s Angels where he played himself.“We had so much fun.It was awesome.

He had a really beautiful, full life.It was really, really fun.

Just constant laughter,” Emilia said.The pair met in 1998 while surfing the Banzai Pipeline, a reef on the North Shore that’s known for producing one of the most dangerous waves in ...