Foto: Paras Griffin / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
New details surrounding actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner's drowning death have been revealed, per ABC News.
According to police, Warner, best known for his role as Theodore Huxtable on The Cosby Show, was swimming with his eight-year-old daughter on Sunday (July 20) when he drowned near Cocles, a beach in Limon, Costa Rica.
Police said surfers dove into the water to help after they saw Warner and his daughter struggling in a rip current. One surfer used his board to rescue Warner's daughter, while a volunteer lifeguard pulled the actor and a second surfer to shore.
Warner was given 45 minutes of CPR, but later pronounced dead. An autopsy confirmed Warner's cause of death as asphyxiation by submersion and described the drowning as accidental. Both surfers and Warner's eight-year-old daughter survived the incident.
Celebrities and fans mourned the loss of Warner upon news of his death. Warner's role on The Cosby Show earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 1986. The actor also starred in Malcolm & Eddie, Reed Between the Lines, The Resident, and 9-1-1.
On Tuesday (July 21), Beyoncé featured a special dedication to Warner on the homepage of her website. The tribute included a black-and-white childhood photo of Warner alongside a caption highlighting his contribution to “television history.”
Holly Robinson Peete, whose father wrote and produced The Cosby Show, shared a photo of herself and Warner on Instagram on Monday (July 21).
"He was always gracious, kind, funny, and gave the absolute best hugs," she wrote. "Even if you never met him — you feel like you knew him. That's how universally loved he was."
Fellow Reed Between the Lines star Tracee Ellis Ross remembered Warner as a "warm" and "thoughtful" actor and friend.
"I love you, Malcolm. First I met you as Theo with the rest of the world then you were my first TV husband. My heart is so so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant. You made the world a brighter place. Sending so much love to your family. I’m so sorry for this unimaginable loss," Ross wrote in an Instagram post.
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