Lifeguards recall how doctor on scene helped recover Malcolm-Jamal Warner's body after he drowned at sea
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA: Lifeguards who had been in contact with individuals present on the beach where Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned recalled the tragic sequence of events that led to the actor's death.
Mike Geist, a lifeguard instructor and vice president of Caribbean Guard, a group of 35 volunteer lifeguards, told Us Weekly that Warner had a surf lesson earlier in the day along with a group of unidentified individuals.
Lifeguards recall tragic sequence of events before Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s death
Mike Geist told the outlet on Tuesday, July 22, "They had a good surf lesson. After the surf lesson, I think they stayed on the beach for a while and then decided to get back in the water."
Geist added that there were three people in "distress" in the water, including a woman and a young girl.
Meanwhile, good Samaritans, a boogie boarder and a doctor, jumped into the water to search for a fourth person.
Geist also said, "The three of them were able to get out with some help," adding that the doctor’s wife also "took care" of those involved in the incident.
"Another person that was on the beach with a boogie board went out to go and look for Malcolm because they learned there was a fourth person," he added.
Another volunteer lifeguard, Sofia Cordoba, said that the doctor, who was at the beach with his wife, "saw a group of people alarmed, so he took his board and got ready to approach the place where the people were."
"He realizes that there are many people who are trying to help, who are rather putting themselves at risk because no one had a floating element," Cordoba added.
The doctor eventually found Warner submerged in the water. Cordoba added that about five minutes into the doctor’s search, "he saw a shadow" and pulled Warner, who was unconscious, to the surface.
Geist added, "He pulled him to the surface and did exactly what he was supposed to do."
"[He] gave him five emergency breaths, which is always our best chance of bringing someone back, when he got him above the water and then was able to bring him into shore quickly where they started CPR," he said.
Geist also mentioned that other individuals on the beach assisted in administering CPR between 2 and 2.30 pm on Sunday, July 20.
Ambulances arrived “quickly” within 12 minutes and had an automated external defibrillator (AED) ready for use.
"They continued CPR for, I believe, 30 minutes or longer. The resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful," Geist said.
Costa Rica authorities reveal information about Malcolm-Jamal Warner's death
Authorities in Costa Rica have released information regarding the tragic death of actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
A statement from the Judicial Investigation Agency, shared with PEOPLE, indicated that Warner is believed to have been swept away by a strong current after entering the ocean.
Bystanders reportedly pulled him from the water and brought him to shore, where Costa Rican Red Cross responders attempted life-saving measures. "The victim appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current. The man was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, where he received treatment from the Costa Rican Red Cross. However, he was declared lifeless at the scene," the statement read.
A spokesperson for the Red Cross said paramedics "performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the patient for more than 20 minutes, but without successful results."
Warner was officially pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities later confirmed that the cause of death was "asphyxiation by submersion."
His body was transported to the morgue in San Joaquin de Flores for an autopsy, which confirmed the cause of death, the Costa Rican National Police said on Monday, July 21.
