Rip Currents and Undertows take Lives in Panama and Costa Rica
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Star of ‘The Cosby Show’, Drowns in Costa Rica During Holiday with Daughter
Bill Cosby acts with Malcolm Jamal Warner in a scene from the "Cosby Show."
Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned on Sunday, aged 54, while vacationing in Costa Rica. The Emmy-nominated Cosby Show actor was pulled under by strong currents despite rescue efforts from bystanders and emergency responders.
He rose to fame as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, which aired from 1984 to 1992. Warner is survived by his wife and daughter, whose identities he kept private throughout his career. Warner was swimming at Playa Grande when he was pulled under by a strong current.
A rip current, often mistakenly called a “rip tide”, is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water that moves directly away from the shore, cutting through the line of breaking waves. These currents are different from tides and are a leading cause of beach-related drowning. An undertow is a current of water below the surface and moving in a different direction from any surface current.
