Malcolm-Jamal Warner | Source: Getty Images

Malcolm-Jamal Warner Was Swimming with His Daughter When He Drowned

Jul 24, 2025 - 09:49 A.M.

The late "Reed Between the Lines" star tragically died while vacationing with his family in Costa Rica. Although he didn't survive, his daughter fortunately did.

Police have revealed that Malcolm-Jamal Warner was swimming with his only child when he drowned at Playa Cocles, a beach in Limón, Costa Rica. The actor was pulled from the water by bystanders, but by the time emergency services arrived, it was too late.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner visits SiriusXM Studios on June 11, 2024, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Fortunately, surfers who saw him and his eight-year-old daughter — whose identity Warner kept private — struggling in the water dove in to help. Authorities confirmed that a surfer used his board to get Warner's daughter to safety.

A volunteer lifeguard then helped pull Warner and another surfer to shore. Police say Warner was given 45 minutes of CPR, but to no avail. He was declared lifeless at the scene.

The Costa Rican Judicial Investigation Agency later confirmed that his autopsy was completed on Tuesday, July 22. The report stated that he died from accidental asphyxiation due to submersion.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner attends SCAD aTVfest 2020 - In Conversation With Malcolm-Jamal Warner on February 29, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia. | Source: Getty Images

The agency also released a statement to PEOPLE, saying, "The body will be removed from the Judicial Morgue by a funeral service company hired and authorized by Mr. Warner's family."

Warner was 54 at the time of his death. He rose to fame as Theo Huxtable in the beloved sitcom, "The Cosby Show," which successfully ran from 1985 to 1992. He went on to star in several more TV shows, including "Malcolm & Eddie" and "Reed Between the Lines."

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He is survived by his daughter and wife. Rest in peace.

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