Lifeguards Were Not on Duty at ‘Challenging’ Costa Rican Beach Where Malcolm-Jamal Warner Drowned

Playa Grande lifeguards claim they were “not present” on the beach at the time of Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s death due to lack of “resources.”

“We deeply regret the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner at Playa Grande. He was swept away by a strong rip current and died by drowning,” the Caribbean Guard, Costa Rica’s volunteer lifeguard association, said in a Monday, July 21, statement via Facebook. “It all happened very quickly, and although there were people on the beach who entered the water to rescue him, they did not arrive in time. He was pulled from underwater without vital signs, and despite CPR maneuvers being performed on the beach, resuscitation was unsuccessful.”

The Guard added that Playa Grande, well known by “local surfers,” is one of their “most challenging beaches,” noting that there are signs in both Spanish and English “warning of the danger of death due to drowning.” While the Guard has patrolled there “over the past few years,” they claimed that they were “not present” at the time of Warner’s death.

“Due to recent aquatic incidents in Playa Negra, we had redirected resources there and to Chiquita, another iconic beach known for its strong currents,” the statement claimed before appealing to Costa Rica’s president, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, and the government. “From Caribbean Guard, a volunteer lifeguard association, we make an urgent appeal to the President of the Nation, the national government, the Municipality of Talamanca, and the entire Caribbean community to continue joining forces to minimize this problem, which, sadly, is on the rise ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.”

The statement alleged, “We do everything within our reach. We have saved numerous lives in recent years, and if Caribbean Guard didn’t exist, the number of drownings would be counted in dozens. We give everything we have to minimize the risks, but without help from the government, clear public policies, and strong support from local business owners, this will continue to happen.”

News broke earlier on Monday that Warner died at the age of 54 after an accidental drowning. Costa Rican National Police told ABC News that The Cosby Show star’s official cause of death was ruled as asphyxia, which occurs when an individual doesn’t get enough oxygen in their body.

Us Weekly later confirmed that the Costa Rican Red Cross was alerted to a water-related incident at Playa Grande, Cahuita, Limón, via the 9-1-1 emergency system on Sunday, July 20, at 2:10 p.m, and when authorities got the alert, three ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

Warner’s body has since been transferred from Limón to the Forensic Medicine Unit in San Joaquín de Flores for an autopsy. Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department shared with Us that a preliminary investigation showed that Warner “appeared to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current.”

According to the Red Cross, emergency personnel attended to two adult male patients at the scene. As of this publishing, a 35-year-old man who hasn’t been identified was transported in critical condition to the local clinic and his current condition is unknown, while CPR was performed on Warner, who was declared dead at the scene. The spokesperson confirmed that both Warner and the second individual were “involved in the same incident.”

Warner had been in Costa Rica since July 13. He is survived by his wife and daughter, whose identities were never revealed.