Tamayo Perry has died at the age of 49

Pirates of the Caribbean actor and surfer Tamayo Perry has died after being attacked by a shark.

Perry, 49, was attacked while he was riding the waves off Mālaekahana Beach on Oahu’s North Shore in Hawaii on Sunday (June 23).

According to Honolulu Emergency Medical Services, Perry was found with several shark bites.

The attack was reported by a caller who said they had spotted a man appearing to be suffering from shark bites, as per Sky News.

Emergency services arrived at the beach just before 1pm local time.

The surfer was dragged back to shore by lifeguards on a jet ski before paramedics pronounced the actor dead at around 1pm local time on Sunday (23 June).

Tamayo Perry was attacked and killed by a shark. (Instagram/@oahusurfingexperience)

Ocean Safety personnel have since put up shark warnings in the surrounding area following the fatal attack.

“He’s well known on the North Shore. He’s a professional surfer known worldwide,” said Kurt Lager, acting Honolulu Ocean Safety chief.

“Tamayo’s personality was infectious and as much as people loved him, he loved everyone else more,” he added before saying that Perry was a ‘lifeguard loved by all’.

“Tamayo was a legendary waterman and highly respected,” Honolulu mayor Rick Blangiardi said.

He also labelled Perry’s death as ‘a tragic loss’.

Perry made a name himself as a surfer who could tackle the infamous Pipeline wave which breaks at Ehukai beach in Oahu.

He often took part in the Pipeline Master Trials over the years and even took home the trophy in 1999.

Tamayo Perry featured in Pirates of the Caribbean. (Disney)

Perry’s impressive surfing skills caught the eye of TV and film producers over the years too, seeing him make appearances in the likes of the 2002 flick Blue Crush, 2003’s Charlie’s Angels 2 as well as several episodes of Hawaii Five-O.

But many will of course know Perry for his appearance in 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which saw him work alongside the likes of Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz and Ian McShane.

Perry was selected alongside four others from a pool of nearly 7,000 people who auditioned for the role in 2010.

“I had to get pretty nasty to stand out,” he said of his audition. “There were some herniated squints.”

The surfer obviously impressed as he formed part of a small gang of people who the production crew referred to as ‘core pirates’, rather than extras.

“We are right there in your face,” Perry said of the role in an interview with the Star Advertiser before the movie’s release.

“It is going to be in 3D, and you are going to get more of us than you want. We’re some bad-boy pirates.”