Malcolm-Jamal Warner's death: Police clarify his daughter's whereabouts at time of actor's drowning
Despite earlier reports, Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) told People on Friday that the 'Cosby Show' alum's daughter was actually not in the water at the time of his drowning.
'Mr. Warner was playing with his daughter at the seashore at one point. He then left her out of the water, and he and a friend of his entered the sea,' the statement, which was translated from Spanish to English, stated.
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9 Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP
'It was at that moment that they were swept away by the current, and the friend managed to get out,' the statement continued. 'However, Mr. Warner was unable to get out and was pulled out by several people on the beach. He received care from Red Cross officials, but was pronounced dead at the scene.'
On Monday, Costa Rican National Police confirmed to The Post that bystanders had pulled Warner from the water and taken him to shore.
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9 Malcolm-Jamal Warner at home with his daughter.
malcolmjamalwar/Instagram
The Costa Rica Red Cross made revival efforts, but the attempts were unsuccessful. The actor was 54.
Playa Grande lifeguards confirmed they were 'not present' on the beach at the time of the accident due to a lack of 'resources.'
Warner's body was transported to the morgue at San Joaquin de Flores for an autopsy. His cause of death is listed as asphyxiation by 'submersion.'
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TMZ reported on Wednesday that Warner's body has been released to the family. His body was expected to be flown back to Los Angeles on Thursday.
9 Malcolm Jamal Warner with his daughter as a baby.
malcolmjamalwar/Instagram
A second source claimed Warner was in Costa Rica with his daughter for a home-schooling program. His wife was allegedly not in the country and learned about the tragedy through a phone call.
Now, a doctor, who was one of the bystanders who pulled Warner out of the water, is revealing what happened.
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'I was about 200 meters from the incident, at Playa Grande, spending the day on vacation with my partner,' the doctor, who asked to remain anonymous, told Us Weekly. 'There were very few people on the beach, and the sea was rough.'
9 Malcolm-Jamal Warner and his daughter.
The physician said he heard several cries and rushed over.
'I ran to the area and entered the sea with my surfboard, heading into the rip current toward the person being pointed at by some beachgoers,' he explained. 'After a few minutes, I saw a shadow, dove down and pulled the person out.'
Once the doctor got to shore, he saw the second bystander, who had helped rescue Warner, struggling to breathe while lying on the sand.
9 Malcolm-Jamal Warner celebrates the holidays with his daughter.
malcolmjamalwar/Instagram
'[He was] just someone who tried to help during the emergency, without any rescue equipment.'
Lifeguards explained on Monday that while Playa Grande is well known by 'local surfers,' it is one of their 'most challenging beaches.'
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'We deeply regret the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner at Playa Grande. He was swept away by a strong rip current and died by drowning,' Costa Rica's volunteer lifeguard association, Caribbean Guard, wrote on Facebook Monday.
9 Malcolm-Jamal Warner and his daughter wash his car.
malcolmjamalwar/Instagram
'It all happened very quickly, and although there were people on the beach who entered the water to rescue him, they did not arrive in time,' the statement noted. 'He was pulled from underwater without vital signs, and despite CPR maneuvers being performed on the beach, resuscitation was unsuccessful.'
They added that there are signs placed along the beach in both Spanish and English 'warning of the danger of death due to drowning.'
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Warner drowned while swimming near Cocles after allegedly being caught by a high current on Sunday, between 2 and 2:30 p.m. local time.
9 'The Cosby Show' cast photo.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
The Hollywood vet rose to fame playing Theodore 'Theo' Huxtable, the son of Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable, in 'The Cosby Show.'
The sitcom ran for eight seasons from 1984 to 1992 on NBC. Warner garnered a 1986 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
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In 2021, the 'Malcolm & Eddie' vet spoke with The Post about the legacy of the series after Cosby's sexual assault conviction before it was overturned.
9 Malcolm-Jamal Warner arrives at the FX and Vanity Fair Pre-Emmy Celebration at Craft in LA on September 17, 2016.
MediaPunch/INSTARimages
9 Malcolm-Jamal Warner's photo shoot for Fox's 'The Resident.'
FOX Image Collection via Getty Images
'I can understand why some people can't watch the show and enjoy it because of everything that's going on now,' Warner said. 'But I think … there's a generation of young people who have pursued higher education or have started loving families because of the influence of that show.'
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'So it's kind of like, you can't discount its impact on television culture and American culture,' he expressed.
After news of the tragedy broke, Cosby, 88, addressed Warner's death, revealing that it felt like losing his own son, who was murdered in 1997.
He told The Post through his rep: 'While I was their TV dad, I never stopped being a father to them.'
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