Doctor who desperately tried to save Malcolm-Jamal Warner's life breaks silence as he recalls chilling details of star's drowning death

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

A doctor claims he tried to save the life of actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner prior to his tragic death via drowning Sunday in Costa Rica.
The doctor, who did not want to be identified by name, told Us Weekly Thursday, 'I was about 200 meters from the incident, at Playa Grande, spending the day on vacation with my partner.'
'There were very few people on the beach, and the sea was rough.'
The doctor said they rushed to the area The Cosby Show actor was at, upon hearing a hubbub.
'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,' the doctor told the outlet. 'After a few minutes, I saw a shadow, dove down and pulled the person out.'
The doctor said another beachgoer was in distress at the time too, describing the person 'as just someone who tried to help during the emergency, without any rescue equipment.'
The actor's body was brought to the Judicial Investigation Department in Costa Rica
Officials with the Judicial Investigation Department in Costa Rica said that the actor died Sunday after he drowned while on a Caribbean beach in the country.
Warner had been at Playa Cocles in the Limon province, authorities said, and had been drawn deep into the water by a current.
A first report from the department said that the actor had been 'rescued by people on the beach.'
Red Cross officials said that first responders who located Warner could not detect vital signs; and subsequently transferred him to a nearby morgue.
Warner's career in entertainment spanned more than four decades, as he also had featured roles on sitcoms such as Malcolm & Eddie, Listen Up and Read Between the Lines and drama shows such as The Resident and Jeremiah.
Warner spoke with the AP in 2015 about his drive in maintaining his career after The Cosby Show went off the air nearly a quarter-century ago.
Said the actor, 'I grew up with a maniacal obsession with not wanting to be one of those 'Where are they now kids.'
'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, who received a nomination for an Emmy in 1986 for supporting actor in a comedy, told the AP in 2015 that the sex assault accusations against Cosby had 'tarnished' the legacy of the series, which virtually disappeared from heavy play in syndication amid Cosby's legal issues.
'My biggest concern is when it comes to images of people of color on television and film,' Warner said. 'We've always had The Cosby Show to hold up against that.
'And the fact that we no longer have that, that's the thing that saddens me the most because in a few generations the Huxtables will have been just a fairy tale.'