“Glee” star Naya Rivera ’s 4-year-old son told investigators that his mother, whose body was found in a Southern California lake Monday, boosted him back on to the deck of their rented boat before he looked back and saw her disappearing under the water, authorities said.
“She must have mustered enough energy to get her son back on the boat, but not enough to save herself,” Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said at a news conference.
The boy, Josey Hollis Dorsey, was found asleep and alone in a life vest on the drifting pontoon boat about three hours after they launched on Lake Piru northwest of Los Angeles, setting off a five-day search that ended with the discovery of the body of the 33-year-old floating near the surface early Monday, authorities said.
The mother and son had gone swimming, which was permitted in that part of the lake, Ayub said. She was not wearing a life vest.
Authorities believe that Rivera drowned accidentally, and that her body was most likely trapped in the vegetation under the lake for several days before floating to the top, Ayub said.
Divers had already thoroughly searched the area where she was eventually found, but shrubbery that had grown wildly in the area, which was recently dry, must have kept her hidden in the murky water.
Family members chatted with Rivera via FaceTime when she was on the boat, and search crews watched those videos for clues to where she might have gone down, Ayub said.
“It has been an extremely difficult time for her family throughout this ordeal,” Ayub said “We share in their grief.”
Rivera played singing cheerleader Santana Lopez for six seasons from 2009 to 2015 on the Fox musical-comedy “Glee.”
She is the third major cast member from the show to die in their 30s.
The announcement of her death comes seven years to the day after co-star Cory Monteith died at 31 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin, with the series losing one of its leads while it was still on the air.
Another co-star, Mark Salling, who Rivera dated at one point, killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.
Rivera's body was flown by helicopter 40 miles (64 kilometres) to the coroner’s office in Ventura, where an autopsy would be conducted and an official identification made, authorities said.
Ayub said the circumstances from the location of the body to the fact that no one else has been reported missing in the lake makes the department “confident that the body we found is Naya Rivera.”
Rivera had experience boating on the lake in Los Padres National Forest an hour's drive from Los Angeles.
It was closed down and searched by dozens of divers with help from sonar and robotic devices combing the bottom and helicopters and drones searching above.
Surveillance video showed the mother and son parking and renting the boat at about 1 p.m. on July 8.
The vendor who rented it to them went looking for them when they failed to return on time, and found the boat drifting in the northern end of the lake with the boy aboard.
The boy, Rivera’s son from her marriage to actor Ryan Dorsey, was safe and healthy and quickly reunited with family members after he was found, authorities said.
His parents divorced in 2018 after nearly four years of marriage.
The day before her death, Rivera tweeted a photo of herself and Josey that read, “just the two of us.”
AP Newsroom
Tue Jul 14 2020
![Sheriff: 'Glee' star Naya Rivera saved son before drowning Sheriff: 'Glee' star Naya Rivera saved son before drowning](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2020-07/71594695505_NayaRivera.jpg)
Naya Rivera at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles on May 1, 2012. Authorities say a body has been found at a Southern California lake during the search for -Glee- star Naya Rivera - AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Pelepasan ketujuh air sisa nuklear Fukushima ke laut selesai
Jepun telah menyelesaikan pusingan ketujuh pelepasan air sisa radioaktif yang dirawat dari loji kuasa nuklear Fukushima Daiichi ke Lautan Pasifik pada Selasa.
Empat termasuk kapten maut dalam pertempuran
Empat anggota tentera India termasuk kapten meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan selepas pertempuuran pada malam isnin di Hutan Desa.
Pakistan sahkan 4 warganya terbunuh di Oman
Pakistan berkata pada Selasa empat warganya terbunuh dalam insiden tembakan pada malam Isnin berhampiran ibu negara Oman, Muscat.
Lima terbunuh, puluhan cedera dalam protes antikuota di Bangladesh
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang terbunuh dan puluhan lagi cedera dalam pertempuran antara pelajar yang memprotes sistem kuota dalam pekerjaan sektor awam dan polis di pelbagai bahagian Bangladesh pada Selasa.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air, sekali gus mengurangkan kebergantungan pada perbelanjaan kerajaan dan mengukuhkan daya tahan.
Saya tak fitnah Guan Eng, cuma jelaskan siasatan SPRM - Muhyiddin
Presiden Bersatu Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini bahawa beliau tidak memfitnah Lim Guan Eng berhubung isu pengecualian cukai terhadap Yayasan Albukhary
KPT alu-alukan dapatan, cadangan PAC - Zambry
Ini termasuklah cadangan pelaksanaan Garis Panduan Pelaburan dan Pembiayaan oleh Universiti Awam 2024 kepada anak-anak syarikat di bawah seliaan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT).
![Prestasi lemah debat dengan Trump, ahli parti Demokrat persoal kemampuan Biden Prestasi lemah debat dengan Trump, ahli parti Demokrat persoal kemampuan Biden](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/71719671359_TBKamalaHarris.jpg)
Prestasi lemah debat dengan Trump, ahli parti Demokrat persoal kemampuan Biden
Beberapa ahli Parti Demokrat secara terbuka mempersoalkan sama ada Biden sepatutnya digantikan dengan calon lain dari parti itu dalam pilihan raya 2024.
![California terus berada di kedudukan teratas dalam kadar pengangguran di AS California terus berada di kedudukan teratas dalam kadar pengangguran di AS](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-05/81716035583_Californiapengangg.jpg)
California terus berada di kedudukan teratas dalam kadar pengangguran di AS
California terus menerajui Amerika Syarikat (AS) dalam jumlah kehilangan pekerjaan sejak awal tahun ini.
![Sekurang-kurangnya empat maut dalam insiden tembakan di sebuah bar di AS Sekurang-kurangnya empat maut dalam insiden tembakan di sebuah bar di AS](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-08/71692861156_barshooting.jpg)
Sekurang-kurangnya empat maut dalam insiden tembakan di sebuah bar di AS
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang maut dalam kejadian tembakan di sebuah bar di negeri California di Amerika Syarikat pada Rabu.
![Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-04/41680607592_TBBERITAx.jpg)
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
![Hurikan Hilary landa California Hurikan Hilary landa California](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-08/81692600896_TropicalStormHilar.jpg)
Hurikan Hilary landa California
Selatan California telah mengalami kesan ribut sejak awal Ahad dan jumlah curahan hujan mula meningkat.
![Putri Ariani tampil persembahan memukau sempena Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia Putri Ariani tampil persembahan memukau sempena Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-08/81692259782_PutriAriani.jpg)
Putri Ariani tampil persembahan memukau sempena Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia
Penyanyi kelahiran Indonesia, Putri Ariani tampil membuat persembahan sempena sambutan Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia (HUT) ke 78 di Istana Merdeka, Jakarta Pusat pada Khamis.
![Kanak-kanak tidak sengaja tembak mati adik usia setahun di California Kanak-kanak tidak sengaja tembak mati adik usia setahun di California](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-04/61680423682_TBcrimescene.jpg)
Kanak-kanak tidak sengaja tembak mati adik usia setahun di California
Mangsa yang cedera di kepala itu dibawa ke hospital dan disahkan meninggal dunia pada 8.30 pagi Isnin waktu tempatan.
![Enam maut, pesawat terhempas berhampiran lapangan terbang California Selatan Enam maut, pesawat terhempas berhampiran lapangan terbang California Selatan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-07/51688900167_Californiaplanecra.jpg)
Enam maut, pesawat terhempas berhampiran lapangan terbang California Selatan
Sebuah pesawat ringan terhempas berhampiran Lapangan Terbang French Valley di California hingga mengorbankan kesemua enam penumpang.
!['Wolverine' dikesan di California, kedua disahkan dalam tempoh 100 tahun 'Wolverine' dikesan di California, kedua disahkan dalam tempoh 100 tahun](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-06/81685879317_TBWOLVERINEjpg.jpg)
'Wolverine' dikesan di California, kedua disahkan dalam tempoh 100 tahun
Seekor wolverine liar dikesan beberapa kali di California bulan lepas, menurut Jabatan Ikan dan Hidupan Liar California.
![Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-04/41680607592_TBBERITAx.jpg)
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.