*A courageous stranger remains in critical condition after bravely attempting to rescue actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner from drowning during a family vacation in Costa Rica on July 20.
According to PEOPLE, authorities with the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) confirmed the actor was pulled from the ocean by nearby beachgoers. Although bystanders managed to bring him to shore, Warner was declared dead at the scene.
The unidentified individual, who had no personal connection to Warner, entered the water to assist after the actor was “apparently swept away by a current.” The Costa Rican Red Cross responded to a “water-related” incident around 2:10 p.m. that day, attending to two adult males. The unnamed rescuer was rushed to a local hospital, where they remain in critical condition. Warner received 20 minutes of CPR but could not be revived.
The OIJ said, “He was apparently swept away by a current” and “was rescued by bystanders” before being “declared lifeless” on the beach.
“The second victim came in [the water] to help Mr. Warner,” the spokesperson confirmed. Their identity has not been released.
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Warner had been vacationing with his wife and daughter at the time of the tragedy. An autopsy was completed on July 22. According to the OIJ, the official cause of death was accidental asphyxiation by submersion. The investigation into the incident remains active.
The Costa Rican National Police have formally identified his body and will be transferred from the Judicial Morgue by a funeral service company appointed by his family.
Warner is best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.” Through spokesperson Andrew Wyatt, Bill Cosby shared his sorrow: “He had just done a concert in Minnesota and called Mr. Cosby and talked about it. They spoke all the time. He said ‘Malcolm was changing humanity.’”
