Widow, close friend of Tamayo Perry, the surfer and actor killed in Hawaii shark attack, speak out

OAHU, Hawaii -- The widow and a close friend of Tamayo Perry, the surfer who was killed in a shark attack in the waters off Hawaii, are speaking out for the first time since the tragic incident.

"I feel so upset and devastated. But I also have it weird calmness in my heart knowing that he's in a better place," said Tamayo's wife, Emilia.

Tamayo is a Hawaii native and lifeguard who was often in the waters off the island of Oahu.

"It was like I went on the best 25-year vacation of my life with him. And now it's over. Now I got to come back to reality," Emilia said.

He was a local legend in a sense, say his friends. His surf skills and infectious personality translated seamlessly into film, with roles in "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Blue Crush."

Friends said Tamayo knew the area where he died like the back of his hand, paddling out on Sunday, like he always did.

"There was nothing out of the ordinary that would indicate that something bad would happen to him versus anybody else. A regular day," said Jesse King, a friend and coworker of Tamayo.

Tamayo's death at the hands of a shark is just the ninth time that's happened in Hawaii in the last 30 years.

Officials say another man was bit Tuesday and an "aggressive" shark was spotted near Oahu.

But Tamayo's friends are convinced he'd tell people to go back out there.

"For people that are surfers and avid ocean users, we do it because we love it," King said.

And for Emilia, who knew him for more than two decades, her late husband's legacy is clear.

"How to be a better human, to love everybody when you have them, because you never know when they're going to be taken away," she said.

She told ABC News her husband was a devout Christian, even texting his family some time before he died saying, "I can't wait to meet the king. I'm excited, not scared. We got to pray and forgive and love."