This has been quite a week for celebrity deaths, all of which were especially poignant if you were a child of the 1980s. As I wrote on Monday, Malcolm-Jamal Warner's death touched me because I was such a big fan of his growing up, and I've always had a lot of respect for him as an actor and entertainer. The more I've heard about him since he died, the more it sounds like he was just a good soul, not your average Hollywood type.
Here we are a few days out, and I'll admit that it's remained heavily on my mind. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that he was swimming in Costa Rica in the very waters where I spend a great deal of time. Something about that just feels surreal to me and has made my heart ache even more for a man I don't even know. We've since learned that he was swimming with his eight-year-old daughter, which makes it even more upsetting. That poor little girl not only lost her father, but also, apparently, saw it all happen.
But what has really bothered me is the coverage of the whole thing. From getting the name of the beach wrong to acting as if rip currents are some kind of shocking new phenomenon to criticizing Costa Rica for not having lifeguards stationed at every beach, it's a low-key reminder of why the mainstream media (and social media to an extent) is just so darn terrible and unreliable.
Related: 'The Cosby Show' Star Dies in an Accident in Costa Rica
I'm certainly no expert, but I wanted to respond to a few of these things.
First of all, the beach where Warner was swimming is called Playa Grande. I've seen others mentioned in various articles, but people on the ground have said it was Playa Grande. I think one reason for the mix-up is that there are several popular beaches on the Caribbean side of the country, between Cahuita National Park and the Panamanian Border, which can run together. Throw in a language barrier and international communication, and I'm sure plenty gets lost in translation.
As someone who spends a lot of time in the ocean and, not to brag, is an excellent swimmer — I'm not good at a lot of things, but I will claim that; I once had Olympic aspirations — I can tell you I've swam in the ocean at that beach exactly once. I went there because it was quiet and uncrowded, but the water was very rough. The currents were strong. (I also cut my foot on some coral and nearly got stung by a jellyfish.) I never ventured very far out into the water. It just didn't feel safe to me that day. It's supposedly a good spot for surfing.
I hate to give away my happy place, but there's another beach just west of there where the water is almost always like a swimming pool with gentle waves, and that's where I swim now — Playa Punta Uva. I've spent hours upon hours just floating and literally swimming miles along that area without an issue.
As for lifeguards, I'm going to pull out my favorite phrase: The world is not the United States. Costa Rica is often compared to West Virginia because of its size (Costa Rica is actually smaller), but unlike the Mountain State, it has over 800 miles of coastline. It does not have the resources to assign lifeguards to every inch of that, and in the rare situation that a beach does have lifeguards, they may be volunteers or at that beach on a limited basis (think tourist season, holidays, or weekends).
Even if the country had the resources for this, there are so many little wild and undeveloped nooks and crannies there that it'd be impossible to police them all, and that's sort of the beauty of it. You live by your own rules, and that's one reason I spend so much time there. Is there a risk? Absolutely. To me, it's worth it (and I know not everyone will agree). But some media outlets are acting like it's a crime against humanity that these beaches aren't manned 24/7 like some sort of overcrowded, overpriced Florida tourist destination.
As a matter of fact, the Caribbean Guard, which is a volunteer lifeguard organization that takes care of the beaches in the area, posted a statement about it on Facebook (keep in mind that this is a translation from Spanish):
We deeply regret the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner in Playa Grande.
He was swept away by a strong hangover current and died by drowning. It was all very fast and even though there were people on the beach who came in to rescue him, they didn't arrive in time. He was pulled underwater with no vital signs and despite having been provided with CPR maneuvers on the beach, his resuscitation was unsuccessful.
Playa Grande is one of our most challenging beaches. It's a beach known by local surfers and there are signs (in English and Spanish) that warn of the danger of death by drowning.
It's a beach that the Caribbean Guard has patrolled for the last few years. Not this Sunday though.
Due to the recent water incidents on Playa Negra we have allocated resources there and on Chiquita, another beach [known] for its currents.
From Caribbean Guard, association of volunteer lifeguards, we appeal to the President of the Nation, the national government, the Municipality of Talamanca, and the entire Caribbean community, to continue joining efforts to minimize this problem, which is sadly rising ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
We do everything within our power. We've saved numerous lives in recent years, and if Caribbean Guard didn't exist, drownings would count by the dozens. We do our part to minimize risks but if we don’t have government help, clear public policies and strong support from local entrepreneurs, this will keep happening.
And that brings me to my final point: Nature is generally more powerful than you and me, especially the ocean, and especially in a place where you've never been. The locals know what the coast is like there, and that's why a disproportionate number of tourists drown in Costa Rica and in other countries. This article gets some facts wrong, but it points out that many tourists assume that because there's a natural path or sign for an accessible beach, it's a safe place to swim. People also assume that because they've gone swimming at one beach, they can swim at any beach without issue. People also assume that just because they're decent swimmers, they'll be okay in rougher waters. None of this is true.
Anytime you swim in the ocean or spend time at a beach, do a little research. Look online. Talk to the locals. If you're only comfortable swimming with lifeguards around, find a beach where they're stationed. I don't know what Warner's situation was, and this is not really aimed at him in any way. I'm just shocked at the number of people who suddenly don't seem to think that swimming in the largest body of water in the world should be dangerous. Have we become that entitled as a society? I think it would do us all some good to regain some respect for nature.
In Costa Rica, nearly every beach you visit has signs in English and Spanish warning visitors of the dangers of rip currents (you can see one above that I took myself in Dominical). They tend to occur closer to shore in certain parts of the country, and they move fast. Even the best swimmers in the world can't outswim them. (The waves in various parts of Costa Rica can be rough, too. That's why it's one of the surfing capitals of the world.)
If you don't know much about rip currents, I'd recommend taking time to understand them and learning what to do if you get caught in one before you swim at any beach. Most people who drown do so because they panic and try to fight them. According to the National Weather Service, you should try to swim sideways, parallel with the shore — rip currents are typically only 10 to 30 feet wide — or if you can, float with the current until it weakens, usually beyond where the waves break, and then swim to shore calmly and at an angle. I highly recommend looking for videos that show you how to do this if you're unsure, and there are many out there.
Anyway, I didn't mean to write a lecture, but I was just tired of all the false and ignorant comments and news articles that I've been reading this week. I'm all for swimming in the ocean and swimming in the ocean in Costa Rica. I've done it more times than I can count and will probably do it many more times in the future. Ultimately, that's like how I plan to spend every day of my life. Just know what you're getting into before you do, and you should be fine. A little research can save your life.
