Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned during a family vacation in Costa Rica after being pulled under by a powerful ocean current while bodysurfing, according to an official autopsy.
The Cosby Show star, 54, died Sunday (July 20) after entering the water and being swept away, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) confirmed.
A report listed the cause of death as “accidental asphyxiation by submersion.”
“The victim appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current,” the OIJ said in a statement released July 21. “The man was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, where he received treatment from the Costa Rican Red Cross. However, he was declared lifeless at the scene.”
Warner had been vacationing with family when the incident occurred. The OIJ said a funeral home, hired and approved by Warner’s relatives, will handle the transfer of his remains.
“The body will be removed from the Judicial Morgue by a funeral service company hired and authorized by Mr. Warner’s family,” the agency said in a statement on July 22.
Warner rose to national fame for his portrayal of Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, which aired from 1985 to 1992 and became a cultural touchstone.
His performance earned him an Emmy nomination and helped define the role of young Black men on television during that era.
He is survived by his wife and daughter.