Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowning takes new twist after late Cosby Show star's daughter was said to be with him
But police have now clarified the eight-year-old girl's role in her father's death.
Authorities originally claimed that Warner was swimming with the eight-year-old girl when he accidentally drowned during their Costa Rica vacation.
According to police, surfers leapt to action after spotting the actor and his little girl 'struggling' in the ocean after getting caught by a rip current.
In a statement to People on Thursday, Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) said that the Cosby Show star's daughter was not in the water at the time that he drowned.
'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 OIJ said in a statement originally written in Spanish.
In a statement to People on Thursday, Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency said they had been playing in the water, but he left her on the shore before going back in the water with a friend, shortly before 'they were swept away by the current'; Warner is seen with his daughter
'It was at that moment that they were swept away by the current, and the friend managed to get out,' it 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.'
New York's ABC7 had previously reported that law enforcement said one surfer dived in to help and 'used his board to bring Warner's daughter to safety and a volunteer lifeguard pulled Warner and another surfer to shore.'
The reason for the discrepancy is unclear.
Warner, who died of asphyxia by submersion, was given 45 minutes of CPR after he was pulled out of the ocean.
Unfortunately, he could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities. He was 54.
The father and daughter had been enjoying a day on the water near Cocles, a beach in Limon, Costa Rica, before tragedy struck.
The outlet noted that both surfers survived the harrowing ordeal on Sunday.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Warner's representatives for comment but hasn't yet received a response.
Prior to his passing, Warner made a conscious effort to keep his daughter and wife out of the spotlight, apart from the occasional social media post.
For privacy reasons, he chose not to publicly disclose his daughter or wife's names.
Earlier this week, officials announced that a man left in critical condition was trying to save the actor.
A spokesman for The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) revealed the Good Samaritan had entered the water to help Warner after he was swept away by a rip current.
A statement obtained by People confirmed the unidentified 35-year-old man had no personal connection to the actor beforehand and was simply on the beach at the time Warner got into difficulty.
Warner was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean.
First responders from Costa Rica's Red Cross found Warner without vital signs when they attended the scene of the 'water related incident' around 2.10pm on Sunday.
Per the OIJ, Warner's body will be 'removed from the Judicial Morgue by a funeral service company hired and authorized by Mr. Warner's family.'
According to TMZ, his remains are scheduled to leave Costa Rica on Thursday and will arrive in Los Angeles on Friday morning
A source told the outlet that the actor's body was 'turned over by the Judicial Morgue on Wednesday morning, following the completion of his autopsy.'
Following Warner's shock death, lifeguards from Playa Grande — a beach community located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica — released a statement saying they were not present due to lack of 'resources.'
'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,' the Caribbean Guard, Costa Rica's volunteer lifeguard association, shared via Facebook on Monday.
'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.'
'He was pulled from underwater without vital signs, and despite CPR maneuvers being performed on the beach, resuscitation was unsuccessful.'
The Guard added that Playa Grande is one of their 'most challenging beaches,' noting the presence of signs in English and Spanish that warn of the 'danger of death due to drowning.'
Though the Guard has patrolled there 'over the past few years,' they alleged that they were 'not present' at the time of Warner's death.
Following Warner's shock death at 54, lifeguards from Playa Grande released a statement saying they were not present due to lack of 'resources'
'Due to recent aquatic incidents in Playa Negra, we had redirected resources there and to Chiquita, another iconic beach known for its strong currents,' they shared in the statement.
They then made an appeal to Costa Rica's president, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, and the government.
'From Caribbean Guard, a volunteer lifeguard association, we make an urgent appeal to the President of the Nation, the national government, the Municipality of Talamanca, and the entire Caribbean community to continue joining forces to minimize this problem, which, sadly, is on the rise ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.'
'We do everything within our reach. We have saved numerous lives in recent years, and if Caribbean Guard didn't exist, the number of drownings would be counted in dozens. We give everything we have to minimize the risks, but without help from the government, clear public policies, and strong support from local business owners, this will continue to happen.'
On Sunday, the Costa Rican Red Cross received a 9-1-1 alert about a water incident at Playa Grande, Cahuita, Limón. In response, three ambulances were sent to the scene, as per Us Weekly.
Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department told Us Weekly that their preliminary investigation indicated Warner 'appeared to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current.'
Warner had been in Costa Rica since July 13.
Warner was best known for his iconic role as Theodore Huxtable, the only son of Cliff Huxtable, on the beloved NBC sitcom The Cosby Show.
He appeared in all eight seasons from 1984 to 1992, earning widespread acclaim and becoming a household name.
At the time, Warner was just a teenager, but his performance earned widespread acclaim, including a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 1986 Primetime Emmy Awards.
His character, Theo, was based on Bill Cosby's real-life son, Ennis Cosby, and was portrayed with depth and sensitivity.
In the show, Theo is diagnosed with dyslexia after struggling academically during his freshman year at New York University—an arc that resonated with many viewers.
Beyond The Cosby Show, Warner carved out a successful and diverse career in both comedy and drama.
He starred as Malcolm McGee in the UPN sitcom Malcolm & Eddie (1996–2000) opposite Eddie Griffin, and later headlined BET's Reed Between the Lines from 2011 to 2015 as Dr. Alex Reed.
His television credits also included recurring roles and guest appearances on shows like Sons of Anarchy, Jeremiah, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Community. Warner also voiced the Producer character on the educational children's series The Magic School Bus.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Cannon tragedy at fireworks display kills 41-year-old man in front of horrified onlookers
A 41-year-old man tragically died after being struck by a projectile from a mini-cannon during a private fireworks display in Maine, police said. Joseph Hennessey, of South Paris, had attended a fireworks display at a home in Roxbury on Saturday when he was hit with the projectile shortly before 9:30pm, according to Maine State Police. 'I heard a pretty big bang, which I thought was probably a cannon because I've heard them and I've seen them at different places that I've been at,' neighbor Kevin Boutin told KOAT. Boutin said the fireworks show stopped after the cannon went off and that an ambulance arrived at the home shortly after. Hennessey was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead. An autopsy performed by the medical examiner confirmed that Hennessey died after being struck by the projectile. His death remains under investigation. Police did not provide additional information when contacted by the Daily Mail. One of Hennessey's relatives declined to speak with the Daily Mail when contacted. Certain fireworks are legal in the Pine Tree State, though items like M-80s, cherry bombs and bottle rockets are prohibited. 'Missile-type rockets' are also banned. It's unclear what type of projectile killed Hennessey. Last year, 17 people ranging in age from 13 to 93 were injured by fireworks in Maine, according to state data. In July, a 13-year-old Missouri girl was tragically killed after a freak fireworks incident set her home ablaze. That same month, an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in California left seven people dead.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Police called to Manorbier beach as man's body found
A rescue operation at a popular beach in west Wales has ended with the recovery of a man's body. Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to the Manorbier area, near Tenby, Pembrokeshire, at approximately 11:00 BST on Friday after concerns were raised for the welfare of a person."Sadly, a body of a man was found during the search," a spokesperson into what happened are ongoing, the force added. The search effort included the Tenby all-weather and inshore lifeboats and a Coastguard helicopter.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Parents of British siblings who died in Spain sea tragedy are ‘numb', relative says
The parents of two British children who drowned off a beach in Spain are 'numb' and 'holding each other up', says a relative. Ameiya and Ricardo Junior Parris, aged 13 and 11 respectively, died after getting into difficulty in the sea during a family holiday in Salou, near Tarragona, on Tuesday evening. Their father, Ricardo Parris, 31, had also entered the water but was rescued alive by emergency services and taken to hospital after being pulled from the water unconscious, according to local media reports. He was released from hospital after suffering a concussion and is waiting with the children's mother and his partner Shanice Del-Brocco, 31, at the Hotel Best Negresco, where they were staying, for the children's bodies to be repatriated. Kayla Del-Brocco, Shanice's sister, said the parents, who live in Erdington, Birmingham, and have four younger children, were unable to see the bodies until Thursday at the mortuary. Ms Del-Brocco said: 'That's been torturing her. It's just a complete nightmare for her. And sadly, she's awake for this nightmare. 'She was on her own with the four little ones, with no support, apart from the wonderful hotel staff who were there trying to support her, trying to translate little bits for her, and just being absolutely like family for her. 'It's breaking (Ricardo), if I'm honest, because he was in the water, and I know he said things to my sister like: 'I had him, I had Joby in my arms, and we got smacked up the rocks, and that's the last thing I remember.' 'We've got to wait for all the paperwork and everything to go through and the bodies to officially be released so we can repatriate them back home. I was told yesterday it could be anything from seven to 15 days. 'They are just numb. They're holding each other up and keeping it together for the little ones at the minute; going through the motions and desperately waiting to come home now.' Ricardo, whom Ms Del-Brocco says was the first to be rescued, was released from hospital with a 'nasty concussion and some bumps and batters'. The construction worker had taken the siblings for one final swim while Shanice, a full-time mother and former teaching assistant, had taken the rest of the children to the hotel briefly. Ms Del-Brocco said: 'They'd gone out. They were being sensible. They're very good swimmers. 'They knew it was late. However, they'd been doing this every day on holiday, so that day was no different. 'They didn't go out far, but the current was just too strong and pulled them.' She said a hotel worker had spotted the children struggling in the water from reception and had called for help. When Shanice returned to the beach, the ambulances and police cars were already there and Junior was taken away in a helicopter. Other family members flew out on Wednesday to comfort Ricardo and Shanice. The younger siblings – Cassius, six, Cleopatra, five, Asher, three, and Exodus, almost one – have been told, said Ms Del-Brocco. She said: 'Their understanding is they have gone to Heaven, and that's what they've accepted. Little Cassius told me: 'Joby went to Heaven in a helicopter', because that was the last image of his brother he had.' Her cousin, Holly Marquis-Johnson, set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of repatriating the children's bodies and helping the family which has so far raised around £30,000 – something Ms Del-Brocco described as 'phenomenally overwhelming'. The siblings, who were in Years 7 and 8 at North Birmingham Academy, were doting older siblings, Ms Del-Brocco said. Ameiya was a talented runner who had ambitions of going to the Olympics. Ms Del-Brocco added she was 'unapologetically just herself. She was driven by being unique'. Ricardo wanted to become a famous YouTuber and 'was a very, very special one-of-a-kind character'. Via her sister, Shanice said the siblings were 'hilarious, sensitive and loving – the best big brother and sister anyone could want'. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of two British children who have died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.'
