Investigators are learning more about the cause of Malcolm-Jamal Warner's passing and what happened to the other person with him.
54-year-old Warner lost his life while on vacation with his family in Costa Rica.
Warner was best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show sitcom from the 80s and 90s.
At least one publication is reporting that Warner was not alone at the time of his passing
Highlights
- At least one publication reports that Malcolm-Jamal Warner was not alone when he passed away while swimming in Costa Rica.
- US Weekly says an unidentified 35-year-old male was also pulled from the water and is in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
- Messages of support for Warner’s passing have been pouring in from across Hollywood.
Image credits: Alberto Rodriguez / Getty Images
Image credits: Paras Griffin / Getty Images
Authorities say Warner was swimming off Cocles beach, on the east side of the country, in Limon, Costa Rica.
Officials say Warner got swept away by one of the strong rip currents. His body was later found by bystanders and was pulled out of the water.
But perhaps he wasn’t alone. According to US Weekly, there was another person with Warner, a 35-year-old man who hasn’t been identified.
Image credits: Gabriel Anta Kuhn
“Emergency personnel attended to two adult male patients, a spokesperson for the Red Cross exclusively shared with Us Weekly,” the publication says.
They report that an unknown 35-year-old man “was transported in critical condition to the local clinic and his current condition is unknown.”
The article says authorities confirmed that “both Warner and the second individual were involved in the same incident.”
Image credits: Leon Bennett / Getty Images
So far, US Weekly is the only publication reporting on the fact that there was another person with Warner.
As for the rescue efforts to assist Warner, People Magazine reports that authorities said, "The victim appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current. The man was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, where he received treatment from the Costa Rican Red Cross. However, he was declared lifeless at the scene."
Later, a Costa Rican Red Cross spokesperson told the publication that their paramedics "performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the patient for more than 20 minutes, but without successful results.”
Officials say dozens of people lose their lives in rip currents every year
Cocles Beach, where Warner was swimming, is known for its consistent surf and is considered a regional classic for surfing.
It's also known for strong rip currents and undertows, which can be deadly.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S., “Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that can move at speeds of up to eight feet per second, which is faster than an Olympic swimmer.”
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Rip currents can quickly pull even a strong swimmer away from the shoreline, with the force of the current making it difficult or impossible to swim back to safety.
NOAA says that often, when people are caught in a rip current, they “try to counter it by swimming straight back to shore—putting themselves at risk of drowning because of fatigue.”
But that is the opposite of what you’re supposed to do.
Image credits: UPN
“If caught in a rip current, don't fight it! Swim parallel to the shore and swim back to land at an angle,” NOAA says, adding that “it’s estimated that 100 people are k*lled by rip currents annually.”
While the terms can sound the same, NOAA says that rip currents and rip tides are not the same thing.
“A rip tide is a specific type of current associated with the swift movement of tidal water through inlets and the mouths of estuaries, embayments, and harbors,” NOAA’s website explains.
“He always knew his lines”: Bill Cosby breaks silence after Warner’s passing
Image credits: Fox
Messages of support have been pouring in from Hollywood.
Byoncé took to social media to write: “Rest in power, Ma,lcolm-Jamal Warner. Thanks for being a big part of our shared television history. You will be missed."
Viola Davis also left a heartfelt comment. "Theo was OUR son, OUR brother, OUR friend… He was absolutely so familiar, and we rejoiced at how TV got it right!! But… Malcolm got it right… and now… we revel in your life and are gutted by this loss,” she wrote in part.
Image credits: NBC
Former basketball legend Magic Johnson said of Warner: "Every time I ran into Malcolm, we would have deep and fun conversations about basketball, life, and business." Johnson concluded. "He will truly be missed."
Other comments were made by Bill Cosby, the star of the show whose reputation has been tarnished by multiple accusations of se*ual assault and harassment.
Image credits: Hot & Bothered / YouTube
In an exclusive with ABC News, Cosby said Warner “was always a great studier, and I enjoyed working with him very much.”
Cosby said that Warner was professional and that “He always knew his lines, and he always knew where to go."
The Cosby Show was on air from 1984 until 1992.
“I feel very blessed”:.Warner talked about his career during a 2015 interview with the Associated Press
Image credits: Hot & Bothered / YouTube
Although best known for his role as Theo on The Cosby Show, Warner had said in interviews that he worked hard to avoid being known his whole life as Theo Huxtable.
“I grew up with a maniacal obsession with not wanting to be one of those ‘where are they now kids,’” Warner told The Associated Press in 2015. “I feel very blessed to be able to have all of these avenues of expression ... to be where I am now and finally at a place where I can let go of that worry about having a life after ‘Cosby.’”
Warner's other acting credits include Malcolm & Eddie, Suits, American Crime Story, The Resident, and others.
Warner won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for Jesus Children in 2015, and was nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for Hiding In Plain View in 2022.
Warner is survived by his wife and daughter, whose identities are not public.
Netizens show outpouring of support for Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who lost his life in a swimming accident in Costa Rica
