A doctor who was one of the bystanders who pulled Malcolm-Jamal Warner out of the water at Playa Cocles in Costa Rica recalled that the “sea was rough” as he broke his silence over the “The Cosby Show” star’s tragic death.
After Warner’s accidental drowning, Playa Grande lifeguards confirmed they were “not present” on the beach at the time of the incident due to a lack of “resources.”
“I was about 200 meters from the incident, at Playa Grande, spending the day on vacation with my partner,” the doctor told Us Weekly, asking the outlet not to be named.
“There were very few people on the beach, and the sea was rough.”
After he heard some commotion and several cries for help, the doctor quickly rushed over to see the chaotic scene that unfolded in front of him.
“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,” he told the outlet. “After a few minutes, I saw a shadow, dove down and pulled the person out.”
Once the doctor managed to get to the shore, he noticed another bystander — who had helped rescue the actor — lying on the sand whilst struggling to catch his breath.
“[He was] just someone who tried to help during the emergency, without any rescue equipment,” the doctor added.
Following Warner’s accidental drowning, lifeguards explained that Playa Grande is well known by “local surfers” and is one of their “most challenging beaches.”
“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, wrote on Facebook 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 statement added that there are signs placed along the beach in both Spanish and English “warning of the danger of death due to drowning.”
While lifeguards had previously patrolled the area “over the past few years,” they were not present at the time of Warner’s death.
“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 added.
Warner drowned while swimming near Cocles after allegedly being caught by a high current on Sunday, between 2 and 2:30 p.m. local time. He was 54 years old.
Costa Rica’s national police told The Post that Warner was pulled from the water by people in the area and taken to shore, where they desperately attempted to save his life.
The actor’s body was taken to a morgue in San Joaquín de Flores for an autopsy. His cause of death is listed as asphyxiation by “submersion,” according to officials.
A second person who was caught in the same rip current that drowned the actor remains in a critical condition.
