Celebrity deaths have a way of hitting the public hard, and that is definitely the case when it was revealed that Malcolm-Jamal Warner passed away at 54 after drowning. The Cosby Show star has generations of fans, who were shocked by this harrowing story. And now the doctor who tried to save his life is speaking out about what happened that fateful day.
Information about what happened the day the Emmy-winning actor is still trickling out, including reports that surfers pulled Warner's daughter out of the water amidst the chaos. A doctor (who asked to not have their name revealed) spoke to Us Weekly about the efforts that went into attempting to save him. They jumped into action after hearing people calling for help. In his words:
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. After a few minutes, I saw a shadow, dove down and pulled the person out.
Talk about heroism. While we've all heard stories about doctors jumping in to help people, this is another level entirely. And it shows that people were actively trying to save Warner and his daughter when the pair got caught up in a riptide.
It sounds like there was some chaos on the scene, as some people who tried to help Warner ended up needing medical attention themselves. The anonymous doctor revealed how many medical professionals were on the scene, offering:
Immediately, [first responders] began providing first aid to Malcolm, but he had no vital signs. Two tourists ran over to help. They identified themselves as doctors, making a total of three physicians at the scene.
CPR was reportedly administrated to Malcolm-Jamal Warner for 45 minutes before, to no avail. It's a terrifying story, especially considering how many people tried to help him and his daughter. Luckily she ended up being saved.
Elberth León, head of the Tourist Police for Costa Rica’s Atlantic region, also spoke to the publication about what happened on the scene, including how hard the late actor worked to try and save his daughter. He said:
Obviously, as a father, he fought for his daughter, but the current in that area is very strong, and they couldn’t accomplish the objective.
This harrowing drowning story might sound familiar to another tragic celebrity death. Glee star Naya Rivera drowned back in 2020, and also fought to save her son's life before being lost to the water. It's scary to see how quickly and unexpectedly things can change, although the fact that both of their kids survived is a comfort.
Tributes to Malcolm-Jamal Warner have been rolling in since his death, coming from celebrities like Angela Bassett, Tracee Ellis Ross and more. Even Billy Cosby himself as commented on the situation, despite his controversies.
According to his IMDB, Warner might have one more posthumous project coming down the line. We'll just have to see if that's true, and how the public reacts to his final acting credit.
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