Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has died after drowning while swimming with his eight-year-old daughter in Costa Rica, authorities have confirmed.
The incident occurred at Playa Grande in Cahuita, Limón, over the weekend. According to Costa Rican police, Warner and his daughter were caught in a dangerous water current. Surfers noticed them struggling and intervened, using a surfboard to bring the girl to safety. A volunteer lifeguard helped bring Warner and another surfer to shore.
First responders administered CPR on the beach, but Warner was declared dead at the scene. The Costa Rican Red Cross confirmed the death, and the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) stated that Warner appeared to have been swept away by a current. The cause of death was ruled asphyxia by submersion, deemed an accident.
The second surfer rescued was taken to a local clinic in critical condition. Warner, 53, had also appeared in Sons of Anarchy, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and The Resident. Tributes have poured in from former co-stars, including Regina King and Geoffrey Owens.
