Second man in critical condition after Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner tragically drowns in Costa Rica
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Amy Sussman
Another man was reportedly treated at the scene where first responders tried to save Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
The Cosby Show star had been swimming off the coast of a Costa Rican beach on Sunday (June 20) when the 54-year-old was hit by a strong current and ultimately drowned.
Bystanders are said to have rushed to Warner's aid and retrieved him from the water. Once on land, life-saving measures were carried out to no avail, and Warner was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities say the Suits actor died from suffocation. He is survived by his wife and their eight-year-old daughter.
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But, according to PEOPLE, Warner wasn't the only one to have had difficulty in the water, and that the authorities were alerted to another man at the scene who needed help.
The outlet says that the Costa Rican Red Cross received a report of a 'water-related' incident at the Playa Grande resort in Cahuita, Limon.
Three ambulances were sent to the scene to treat the injured individuals. One, who has since been revealed to be Warner, died, while the other was taken to a local Limon clinic in critical condition.
Like Warner, it's believed that the man who ended up critical condition was also 'dragged by a water current at the beach', as per the Costa Rican Red Cross.
Hollywood stars have been paying tribute to Warner in the wake of his sudden passing. His The Resident co-star Emily VanCamp shared a snap of them on Instagram.
Alongside it, she wrote: "I’m not sure I have the words to express what a gift it was to know you and to work with you. Your thunderous laugh, the bear hugs, our chats about love, family and life. A true family man with so much integrity and an endlessly generous spirit. You walked the walk my friend.
"Sending all my love to your beautiful family and all of those who knew you and were close to you. Beyond heartbroken."
Elsewhere, Tyrese Gibson penned a poem about the late actor. Titled 'The Gentle Giant', part of the heartfelt Twitter post read: "Today, we lost a gentle giant. A man who won our hearts not by force, but by quiet grace. From the very beginning, Malcolm-Jamal Warner reminded us that being calm, classy, sophisticated, and soulful could carry you far in life.
"He was the soft-spoken strength behind a generation’s most beloved show.
"We watched The Cosby Show and saw, for the first time, a world many of us had never known. A Black family made up of doctors, lawyers, artists, and thinkers. A household rooted in love, education, laughter, and dignity."