Malcolm-Jamal Warner's shocking death raises new swimming safety fears — here's how experts say to avoid drowning in a rip current

New York Post

23-07-2025

The accidental death of 'The Cosby Show' actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner has saddened the world — and raised new fears over swimming safety.
The beloved TV legend's passing comes amid a record number of drownings on NYC's beaches, where the same type of rip current that claimed Warner in Costa Rica can threaten swimmers just as quickly.
However, according to local water education non-profit Rising Tide Effect, a whopping 95% of all such fatalities are preventable — given the proper instruction.
4 New Yorkers enjoy the water at Coney Island — where rip currents can threaten at any time, experts say.
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In the event you're caught in a rip current, the best thing to do is stay calm, swim parallel to the shore out of the current, and wait for rescue or approach the shore, the experts warn.
Rip currents do not pull swimmers under — they just draw people out further from the sand, they said.
Exerting too much energy kicking or swimming against the current can, in many cases, be fatal.
A similar fate to Warner's befell MLB prospect-turned cop Chase Childers while vacationing with his family on Pawleys Island, S.C., earlier this month.
The trouble began when a woman asked the dad of three to help save her brood of five, all caught in a current.
After heroically saving the swimmers with the help of another nearby man, Childers disappeared into the water — until his body was recovered 90 minutes later by first responders.
Authorities suspect that the ballplayer's admirable rescue efforts left him without the strength to make it back to shore.
Drownings only take up to a minute to occur, so swimming close to a lifeguard when possible can often be the difference between life and death.
In Warner's case, there was no lifeguard present at the time of his death, but signs advising the presence of potential rip currents were reportedly posted on the beach.
4 Chase Childers, 38, drowned just weeks ago during a beach vacation with his family in South Carolina.
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4 Warner passed away at age 54 on July 20 during a trip to Costa Rica.
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The actor was enjoying a family vacation in Playa Grande, and was reportedly swept out into a high current between 2 and 2:30 p.m. local time.
Of the incident, Costa Rican National Police previously told The Post that he was pulled to the shore by nearby beachgoers, allowing the Costa Rica Red Cross to attempt resuscitation.
Per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), rip currents are especially common at low tide, so be sure to keep an eye on the water, and practice advanced caution by checking beach conditions and wave forecast before arriving.
4 Prevention is as important as protection when it comes to rip currents, Krause says.
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Last year, NYC saw a record seven drownings, and six of them occurred while a lifeguard was not on duty.
Per city data, only 34% of NYC residents live within a 15-minute transit ride to a NYC swimming facility, whether it be beach or pool, meaning a majority of New Yorkers make a trek to swim — and many go without swimming lessons or regular experience in water at all, leaving them at a higher risk.
In the wake of increased drownings, more shark sightings, and rising temperatures, inexperienced New York swimmers looking to beat the heat this summer are advised to stick close to the shore, build up their confidence and skills with swimming lessons or opt for pools, officials and experts warn.