‘Glee’ actress Naya Rivera presumed drowned after son found alone on boat, CA cops say
An extensive search continues for actress Naya Rivera, who is presumed drowned after a boat with her 4-year-old son aboard was found drifting Wednesday on Lake Piru in Southern California, KCBS reports.
Rivera, 33, who starred in “Glee” as Santana Lopez, rented a pontoon boat at the lake, about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles, at 1 p.m. Wednesday, the Ventura County Star reported.
At 4 p.m., another boater found the boat drifting on the lake with her son asleep onboard by himself, CNN reported. The boy told authorities he and his mother had gone swimming but she never got back into the boat.
The child was wearing a life jacket, and an adult life jacket was found in the boat, KABC reported. Rivera had been a frequent visitor to the lake, according to the sheriff’s office.
A dive rescue team and helicopter helped search the lake Wednesday night, and the search resumed Thursday morning, but authorities believe Rivera drowned, according to the network.
“There’s a lot of challenges in a reservoir this size, at times with visibility,” said sheriff’s Capt. Eric Buschow, KCBS reported. “I don’t have details yet as to the depth of the area where the boat was found or what conditions they’re encountering out there.”
At 10:30 a.m. Thursday, the sheriff’s department reported on Twitter that more than 80 people on multiple search teams, including ATVs and ground teams, were searching for Rivera.
A short time later, the department wrote on Twitter that it had called on specialized dive teams from Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo and Tulare counties to aid in the search.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the Rivera family,” the Twitter post reads.
Sheriff’s officials confirmed Thursday that the search has moved into the recovery phase, KABC reported.
“There’s no evidence of foul play at this point,” Buschow said, according to the station. “This may well be a case of drowning.”
On Tuesday, Rivera had shared a photo of her and her son to Twitter with the post “just the two of us.”
Rivera and actor Ryan Dorsey finalized their divorce in 2018 after four years of marriage, KABC reported. She appeared on “Glee” from 2009 to 2013 and had dated co-star Mark Salling, who died by suicide after his 2018 conviction on child pornography charges.
Fellow “Glee” actors and others in Hollywood posted to Twitter praying for Rivera’s safety.
This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 6:45 AM with the headline "‘Glee’ actress Naya Rivera presumed drowned after son found alone on boat, CA cops say."