Malcolm-Jamal Warner was reportedly swimming with his 8-year-old daughter when he drowned in Costa Rica.
Both Warner and his daughter, whom he shared with his wife, were spotted struggling in the ocean by surfers nearby who dove in to help, police told ABC News in a Wednesday, July 23, report. (Warner never publicly revealed the name of his wife and children.)
News broke on Monday, July 21, that Warner died in Costa Rica one day prior at the age of 54. Costa Rican National Police later confirmed that the actor drowned near Cocles beach in Limón, Costa Rica on Sunday, July 20, between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Lifeguard instructor Mike Geist, who is also the vice president of Caribbean Guard, explained to Us Weekly on Tuesday, July 22, exactly what transpired that tragic afternoon.
Geist said that after having group surf lessons earlier that day, Warner and a few other individuals “decided to get back in the water.”
He recalled three people later being seen in “distress” who the lifeguards were “able to get out with some help.”
“Another person that was on the beach with a boogie board went out to go and look for Malcolm because they learned there was a fourth person,” Geist said, noting that a doctor was among those searching for Warner and eventually the one who found him submerged in water.
That doctor then administered CPR, but it was too late. Warner’s cause of death was later ruled as asphyxia, which according to the Cleveland Clinic is when someone doesn’t get enough oxygen to their body.
President of the Chamber of Tourism and Commerce of the Southern Caribbean Roger Sanz told Us in a statement this week that the beach where Warner died has “strong currents and generates many waves, making it a highly active area.”
Sanz noted that while many hotel and vacation rental operators do inform their guests about the beach currents, not all of them explain the risks.
“That’s where problems arise, when people come and don’t know about the currents or sea conditions,” Sanz added. “That can lead to fatalities and tragedies like the one that occurred this past Sunday, when the American actor drowned. … Accidents can happen — and this time, it happened to us.”
Geist echoed Sanz’s sentiments and noted that being understaffed has become an issue as well when monitoring the local beaches. Geist told Us that while The Caribbean Guard usually patrols Playa Grande every Sunday, they chose to relocate to another beach that day to better monitor an area that had “several incidents” in recent weeks.
“It’s another reason that we need help,” Geist explained. “Anything we can do to try and generate help for our organization will allow us to cover that beach. … It’s been difficult for our group to accept that, you know, we should have been there quite frankly and this would have never happened.”
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