The investigation into the death of actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner has taken an unexpected turn, approximately 18 days after the 54-year-old reportedly drowned off the coast of a beach in Costa Rica.
Initial reports indicated that Warner, known for his role on The Cosby Show, had been swimming with his eight-year-old daughter on July 20 when both were allegedly caught in a rip current, prompting nearby surfers to intervene in a rescue effort.
However, in an official statement issued on Thursday, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (Organismo de Investigación Judicial, OIJ) clarified that Warner’s daughter was not in the water at the time of the incident.
“Mr. Warner was playing with his daughter at the seashore at one point. He then left her out of the water, and he and a friend of his entered the sea,” the agency stated, as translated from the original Spanish-language release.
The OIJ statement continued: “It was at that moment that they were swept away by the current, and the friend managed to get out. However, Mr. Warner was unable to get out and was pulled out by several people on the beach. He received medical attention from Red Cross personnel but was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
In contrast to the agency’s updated account, Elberth León, Chief of the Tourist Police for Costa Rica’s Atlantic Region, has publicly reaffirmed earlier assertions that Warner had been attempting to rescue his daughter at the time of the incident. León stated unequivocally: “I know what I saw,” and maintained that the child was indeed in the water when the rip current struck.
Elberth León, Chief of the Tourist Police of Costa Rica’s Atlantic Region and a first responder to the July 20th incident, issued a statement to Us Weekly asserting that Red Cross personnel rendered assistance to Warner’s daughter at the scene, though she did not require transport to a medical facility.
“The Red Cross also treated the girl [on site] and she didn’t need to go to the clinic,” León stated. “I don’t know why the OIJ is saying that, since they weren’t present at the scene. They interviewed Malcolm’s family, but they also weren’t there at the time of the accident.”
When contacted by DailyMail.com, representatives of Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) reiterated their earlier position that Warner’s daughter had remained on the shoreline and was not in the water at the time of the incident.
Efforts by DailyMail.com to obtain comment from Warner’s representatives remain unanswered as of the time of reporting.
In prior coverage, ABC7 New York cited law enforcement sources stating that a surfer intervened during the incident, using his board to bring Warner’s daughter to safety, while a volunteer lifeguard assisted in bringing Warner and another surfer to shore.
The cause of the discrepancy between official accounts remains unresolved.
It has been confirmed that Warner died of asphyxia due to submersion. Emergency responders reportedly administered approximately 45 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in an attempt to resuscitate him after he was pulled from the ocean.
The incident occurred while Warner and his daughter were reportedly spending leisure time near Cocles Beach, located in the Limón province of Costa Rica.#newsafro_
