Why there were no lifeguards on duty when Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned at Costa Rica beach

New York Post

4 days ago

New details have emerged surrounding the death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
The 'Cosby Show' star died on Sunday at age 54, during a family vacation in Costa Rica.
After Warner's accidental drowning, Playa Grande lifeguards claim they were 'not present' on the beach when the incident occurred due to lack of 'resources.'
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13 Malcolm-Jamal Warner on Instagram in May.
malcolmjamalwar/Instagram
'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, said in a statement on Monday via Facebook.
'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.'
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The Guard explained that Playa Grande is well known by 'local surfers' and is one of their 'most challenging beaches.'
The statement added that there are signs placed along the beach in both Spanish and English 'warning of the danger of death due to drowning.' The Guard shared they had patrolled there 'over the past few years,' but not at the time of Warner's death.
13 Malcolm-Jamal Warner speaks on stage at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023.
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
'Due to recent aquatic incidents in Playa Negra, we had redirected resources there and to Chiquita, another iconic beach known for its strong currents,' the statement noted.
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The social media post included a message addressed 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.'
13 Malcolm-Jamal Warner attends Variety's TV FYC Fest on June 07, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Variety via Getty Images
'We do everything within our reach,' the statement concluded. '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.'
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Warner drowned while swimming near Cocles after allegedly being caught by a high current.
The incident occurred on Sunday between 2 and 2:30 p.m. local time.
13 Malcolm Jamal-Warner.
Tim Wright / MEGA
On Monday, Costa Rican National Police told The Post that bystanders pulled Warner from the water and took him to shore.
The Costa Rica Red Cross made revival efforts, but the attempts were unsuccessful.
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.'
13 Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP
The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) also confirmed the events that took place.
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'The victim appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current,' they told People. '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.'
Warner rose to fame playing Theodore 'Theo' Huxtable, the son of Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable, in 'The Cosby Show.'
13 Malcolm Jamal-Warner as Theo Huxtable.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
The sitcom ran on NBC for eight seasons from 1984 to 1992.
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Warner auditioned for the role of Theo on the last day of the show's nationwide search, and Cosby, 88, selected him, according to Variety.
Warner garnered a 1986 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
'The Cosby Show' also featured Phylicia Rashad (Clair Huxtable), Sabrina Le Beauf (Sondra Huxtable), Lisa Bonet (Denise Huxtable), Tempestt Bledsoe (Vanessa Huxtable) and Keshia Knight Pulliam (Rudy Huxtable).
13 Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theodore 'Theo' Huxtable, Lisa Bonet as Denise Huxtable, Phylicia Rashad as Clair Hanks Huxtable, Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa Huxtable, Keshia Knight Pulliam as Rudy Huxtable, (center) Bill Cosby as Dr. Heathcliff 'Cliff' Huxtable.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
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In 2021, Warner spoke with The Post about the legacy of the series after Cosby's sexual assault conviction.
'I can understand why some people can't watch the show and enjoy it because of everything that's going on now,' he explained. '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.'
'So it's kind of like, you can't discount its impact on television culture and American culture,' added Warner.
13 Malcolm-Jamal Warner poses on arrival for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
AFP via Getty Images
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Two months later, Cosby's sexual assault conviction was overturned.
After Warner's run on 'The Cosby Show,' he starred in the UPN sitcom 'Malcolm & Eddie' alongside Eddie Griffin from 1996 to 2000.
Warner then played Dr. Alex Reed on the BET sitcom 'Reed Between the Lines' from 2011 to 2015. He also starred as AJ Austin on Fox's 'The Resident' alongside Matt Czuchry and Emily VanCamp for 96 episodes from 2018 to 2023.
Many stars have reacted to the news of Warner's passing.
13 Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Courtesy Everett Collection
On Monday, Cosby's rep, Andrew Wyatt, told The Post that the actor 'spoke to Phylicia Rashad earlier today and they reminisced about Malcolm.'
Wyatt added that Cosby, who just celebrated his 88th birthday, feels like 'everybody's leaving.'
The comedian told his rep, 'While I was their TV dad, I never stopped being a father to them.'
13 Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theodore 'Theo' Huxtable.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Cosby also related Warner's death to losing his own son, Ennis Cosby, who was murdered in 1997 at the age of 27.
Hearing the news 'reminded him of the same call he received when his son died,' Wyatt said of Cosby.
Ennis was fatally shot during an attempted robbery while changing his flat tire on a Los Angeles freeway ramp.
13 Malcolm-Jamal Warner poses for photographers at the 12th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Getty Images
Wyatt also shared the touching way Cosby kept his son's memory alive through Warner.
'He started with 'The Cosby Show,' he was a teenager,' he explained to The Post, adding that Cosby gave Warner his upright bass named after his only son in 2016, more than two decades after their long-running sitcom ended.
He passed the instrument on 'so his [Ennis'] legacy would be that he humanized the world,' Wyatt expressed, noting now that Warner's dead, 'he would humanize the world even more.'
13 Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Bill Cosby.
©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection
The two actors also spoke recently.
'He had just done a concert in Minnesota and called Mr. Cosby and talked about it. They spoke all the time. He said 'Malcolm was changing humanity,'' Wyatt said.
Angela Bassett, who worked with Warner on both 'American Horror Story' and '9-1-1,' penned on Instagram, 'When a special soul like @malcolmjamalwar leaves us far too soon, words fail to adequately describe the unimaginable grief. Malcolm was more than a gifted actor; he was a longtime friend.'
13 Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa Huxtable, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theodore 'Theo' Huxtable, Keshia Knight Pulliam as Rudy Huxtable.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
'He carried the weight of cultural legacy with grace, and he always made space for others to shine. His light will remain in our hearts always,' she continued. 'My prayers are with you and yours. Rest in perfect peace until we meet again.'
VanCamp, for her part, shared a throwback photo of the pair on set of 'The Resident.'
'I'm not sure I have the words to express what a gift it was to know you and to work with you. Your thunderous laugh, the bear hugs, our chats about love, family and life. A true family man with so much integrity and an endlessly generous spirit. You walked the walk my friend,' the 'Revenge' alum wrote. 'Sending all my love to your beautiful family and all of those who knew you and were close to you. Beyond heartbroken.'