Malcolm-Jamal Warner, actor best known as Theo on 'The Cosby Show,' drowns at 54

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for starring in "The Cosby Show," has died in a drowning accident in Costa Rica, officials said.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for starring in "The Cosby Show," has died. He was 54.

Warner drowned after he was swept out to sea in Costa Rica, according to authorities there. A source close to Warner said he was on vacation with his wife and young daughter.

The source said the incident appears to be a tragic accident. His wife is in the process of trying to bring his body back to the United States for a planned funeral, the source said.

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department confirmed to NBC News on Monday that Warner drowned Sunday afternoon on a beach on the Caribbean coast.

He was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limón province when a current dragged him deeper into the sea, the department said in a statement. People at the scene pulled him back to the beach, but first responders from Costa Rica’s Red Cross found him without vital signs, and he was taken to the morgue.