‘The Cosby Show’ Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dead At 54

UPDATED: July 25, 2025 12:20 p.m. ET

The doctor who pulled Malcolm-Jamal Warner out of the “rough” waters at Playa Cocles in Costa Rica has broken his silence. The doctor, who wants to remain anonymous, revealed he was on vacation with his partner when he heard other bystanders screaming for help and pointing to someone struggling in the water. As we know, Warner had been pulled out to sea by a rip current.

“I was about 200 meters from the incident, at Playa Grande, spending the day on vacation with my partner,” told Us Weekly. He immediately sprang into action. “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 revealed. “After a few minutes, I saw a shadow, dove down and pulled the person out.”

The doctor wasn’t the only bystander who attempted to help; another man tried to help Warner without any medical equipment. According to Elberth León, head of the Tourist Police for Costa Rica’s Atlantic region, there were three medial professionals on the scene, who attempted to revive Warner.

“Immediately, [first responders] began providing first aid to Malcolm, but he had no vital signs,” the doctor recalled. “Two tourists ran over to help. They identified themselves as doctors, making a total of three physicians at the scene.”

There are conflicting reports if Warner was actually in the water with his 8-year-old daughter when he drowned. In a new report by People, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) refuted stories Warner’s daughter was in the water with him when he drowned.

“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 statement read. “It was at that moment that they were swept away by the current, and the friend managed to get out.”

Eventually, the Red Cross arrived and continued to try to resuscitate Warner, using a defibrillator but was unsuccessful.

UPDATED: July 23, 2025 3:11 p.m. ET

In an update on Wednesday, July 23, it was revealed that Warner was swimming with his 8-year-old daughter at the time of his drowning, according to People. Per local authorities, surfers initially saw Warner and his daughter in the water in distress and jumped in to help.

According to US Weekly, Warner was trying to save his daughter after they had gotten sucked into a violent rip tide that carried them out further in the sea. “They indicated that Mr. Malcolm was in the water enjoying himself with his daughter. At that moment, they were dragged by a rip current,” Elberth León, head of the Tourist Police for Costa Rica’s Atlantic region, explained. “Two people who were there at the location went in with a surfboard and a boogie board to help rescue the people who were caught in the current.”

León detailed how nearby surfers sprang into action to attempt to help the flailing father and daughter. “One surfer reportedly used his surfboard to pull the late actor’s daughter out of the water, while a volunteer lifeguard helped to bring Warner and another person at the scene to shore. “They managed to stay with the girl, managed to get her onto the board, but due to the strength of the current, one of them, from Nicaragua, had to let go of the board and push it toward the shore so the girl could make it to land or the coast,” León shared. “The person who pushed the board was also dragged by the current, so it forced the person with the board to go back into the sea to pull him out. They managed to get him out in critical condition. He was very exhausted.”

According to ABC News, Warner was given CPR for 45 minutes. All other parties involved in the incident have been discharged from the hospital and are recovering, including Warner’s daughter, Dr. Mauricio Sonalo Corella, the Medical Director for the Talamanca Health Area, said.

***Original Story Resumes Below***

A member of television royalty has sadly passed away. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his eight seasons as the only son on NBC’s long-running hit The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 54.

On Monday, July 21, TMZ was the first to report that Warner had died. According to the outlet, an unconfirmed source shared that it’s believed that he died as a result of an accidental drowning, but details and official confirmation are still developing. Up until just three days ago, Warner posted the most recent episode of the Not All Hood podcast he hosted.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dead

Known for keeping his personal life very private, Warner leaves behind a wife and a daughter, whose identities are unknown at this time. Following his enormous success on the iconic series, The Cosby Show, for which he also earned an Emmy nomination, Warner went on to have continued success in television. 

He starred in multiple series after his turn as Theo Huxtable, including UPN’s Malcolm & Eddie alongside Eddie Griffin, Reed Between The Lines with Tracee Ellis Ross on BET, FX’s American Crime Story and recent turns on the FOX shows The Resident and 9-1-1.

In addition to his extensive acting career, Warner was also a successful musician, earning a Grammy Award in 2015 for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Jesus Children” with the Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway. 

He was nominated for a second time in 2022 for a Grammy in the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album category for his work, Hiding In Plain View.