All The InfoEverything We Know About Naya Rivera’s Death, Disappearance And Tragic Boat Accident

Where did the incident take place?

Naya passed away in Lake Piru, which is a reservoir located in Los Padres National Forest and Topatopa Mountains of Ventura County, CA. According to Ventura County Deputy Sheriff Chris Dyer, the actress was familiar with the lake and it wasn’t her first time on the grounds.

Is the lake dangerous?

According to InTouch, the lake is “notoriously dangerous” and known for its “strong winds” and “chilly water.”

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, Captain Eric Buschow, told them, “These big reservoirs, there is a lot that goes on. There are plenty of currents. People drown in California lakes every year.”

Previously, former Ventura State Beach lifeguard supervisor, Steve White, told the Los Angeles Times that the changing temperatures, large waves and rip currents can sometimes be “a deadly combination.”

“Someone will come to the beach, maybe wade out a little, step into a deeper hole or get picked up in a rip current and they begin to panic,” he explained.

The outlet reported that seven people drowned in Lake Piru between 1994 and 2000, adding that “most drowning victims were swimmers venturing into restricted waters.”

“The only thing I can emphasize is that if swimmers are around water, they need to wear a personal flotation device whether they know how to swim or not,” Douglas West, Lake Piru’s parks and recreation services manager, told the newspaper. “That will save their lives.”

Was Naya wearing a life vest?

Police revealed to Us Weekly that Josey was found wearing a life vest, but that “another vest [was found] on board the boat for an adult, so it looks like [Naya] was not wearing” hers.

They also said that the boat was “pretty close to the shore, about 15 feet” when it was found, adding, “The shore could be very treacherous. It’s not like you can just get out and walk up that shoreline.”

When was Naya last seen?

Police have released CCTV footage that shows the brunette beauty arriving at the boat dock, taking Josey out of the car, getting on the boat and leaving — seemingly the last time she was ever seen alive. According to reports, Naya rented the boat at around 1 P.M. PST, and Josey was discovered around 4 P.M. PST, so the incident occurred sometime between then.

How did Naya die?

“The fact that she was seen in the water shows there is a high likelihood that she drowned,” the police Captain said after she first went missing. “The son said they were in the water swimming together. He came up and got back up on the boat, but she did not.”

“[Josey] gave enough information to investigators to conclude that his mother never made it out of the water,” Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Kevin Donoghue explained, confirming that “swimming is permitted” in the lake. “There’s really no strong undercurrents like you would have in the ocean, but sometimes the water can be very cold and hypothermic elements being in cold water could affect some people, but I don’t know that that’s the case here.”

He added they do not know the “exact temperature” of the water, and that the wind was likely not a factor. “I mean, it does with the operation of the boats on the water, the wind pushes the boats but not to where it’s really hindered us in any significant way,” he explained.

“We have wind that could push the boat away from a swimmer. We have wind action that cause the boat to bob up and down which would make it difficult to get on and we have underwater hazards that could snag feet underneath you,” the police Captain also told Entertainment Tonight. “Not far from where the body was found, there’s actually trees that are 25 feet deep and stick out of the water.”

What did the autopsy say?

Then, the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed in a press release on Tuesday, July 14, that after completing an autopsy, Naya’s cause of death was drowning.

“The circumstances and visual characteristics all indicated that the body was that of Naya Rivera and the identity has been confirmed by dental comparison,” a press release read. “The body has been x-rayed and a full autopsy has been performed. The autopsy findings are consistent with a drowning and the condition of the body is consistent with the time that she was submerged. No traumatic injuries or disease processes were identified at autopsy.”

The office concluded, “There is no indication from the investigation or examination that drugs or alcohol played a role in the decedent’s death, but specimens will be submitted for toxicology testing.”

Was it an accident?

“There are no signs of foul play,” the Deputy said in a press conference on Thursday. “There are no signs of anything wrong besides a tragic accident.”

Robert Inglis of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue Team told Us Weekly, “The best thing that we can say that contributes to a lot of the drownings is when people go swimming and they are not wearing their life vests. And they jumped off the boat. It doesn’t take much to get exhausted if you’re not in shape. Winds do kick up at that lake, and the boats start to get away and you are trying to go after that boat … You could get a leg cramp. If you are wearing a life vest, you could rest and someone can go back and pick you up, or call for help or something like that.”

According to police, Josey saw his “mother disappear beneath the water.”

“We know from speaking with her son that he and Naya swam in the lake together during some point in their journey,” they said. “It was during that time her son described being helped into the boat by Naya. Naya boosted him onto the deck from behind. The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting, it was unanchored, and she mustered enough energy to get her son back on the boat but not enough for herself.”

What was the search like?

“Multiple teams of professional search and rescue personnel are actively searching Lake Piru for clues to the location of Naya Rivera,” the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office tweeted on Thursday, one day after she went missing. “With over 80 people involved in the search right now, we are using helicopters, boats, ATV vehicles, and ground personnel to try and locate her.”

Unfortunately, at first, the police Sergeant said that they “didn’t know” if her body will ever be found.

“If the body is entangled in something underneath the water it may never come up. We don’t know,” he said at the time.

He explained that the visibility of the lake “was not very good, it’s terrible” which makes things “complicated.”

“There’s a lot of trees and plants and such that are under the water that can cause entanglement. Makes it unsafe for divers and a complicated search,” he explained.

But after discovering a photo Naya took of her son, the police were more hopeful.

“There was a picture sent to a family member that showed the boy on the boat by a cove,” Robert Inglis told Us Weekly. “We found where that cove was.”

A timestamp on the photo revealed that the pic was taken 90 minutes to two hours before the 4-year-old was found alone. Naya’s mom, Yolanda, and younger brother, Mychal, were even spotted joining the search. Plus, her former Glee costar, Heather Morris offered to help.

“My name is Heather Morris, I’m Naya’s close friend and co-worker, and I’m trying to conduct an on-foot search and rescue mission along with a small group of friends at Lake Piru,” she tweeted on Saturday, July 12. “I understand your team is doing EVERYTHING in their power, but we are feeling helpless, powerless and want to help in any way. I have left a message with the department of Rescue and Air today, and I will call again tomorrow. Thank you.”

Then, on Monday, July 13, they found Naya’s body.

“She was found in a north eastern portion of the lake, near the surface of the water,” police said. “The depth of the water in that area is between 35 and 60 feet deep and there’s heavy brush and trees along the lake bed there.”

Who discovered Naya was missing?

The chilling 911 audio from the boater who discovered she had disappeared has been released by police.

“The emergency is we have a missing person. We found a little girl in one of the boats by herself and her mom is nowhere to be found,” the unnamed caller could be heard saying to an officer. “My husband was one [of the first people] there … I’m going to find out more information. He just told me to call it in.”

It was later confirmed that the child on the boat was Naya’s son, Josey.

Is Josey OK?

Yes, authorities confirmed the toddler is safe and in “good health” following the incident. He was also spotted with Naya’s ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, one day after the incident and he looked like he was in good spirits.

What have her family and friends said?

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey and our family over the past week. While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honor her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter and sister,” her family said in a statement. “Thank you to the men and women of the Ventura, Tulare, and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Departments for your commitment and unwavering effort to find Naya. We extend endless gratitude and ovation to the heroine who found her. Thank you to her friends, colleagues, and fans for your continuous support. Heaven gained our sassy angel. We kindly request that our privacy be respected during this very difficult time.”

Many of Naya’s celebrity friends and former costars have also taken to social media to speak out and share tributes for the star, including Demi Lovato, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Dianna Agron, Lea Michele, Harry Shum Jr., Victoria Justice, Chord Overstreet and more. You can see all of their tributes here.

Heather also told E! News a few days before her body was found, “It’s so hard to wrap your head around something unknown. I’m holding on to hope that the rescuers will bring Naya home in a swift and speedy recovery. I know she would remind me in moments like this that God has a plan for everything and although we may not know that that plan is, we need to keep our chin up and stay strong.”

Naya’s ex-fiancé, Big Sean, took to Twitter in an attempt to urge police to keep looking for the star after she first went missing.

The rapper liked a series of tweets about the situation, with one reading, “Since they want to suspend the search for Naya Rivera let’s inform them that the world is watching. KEEP SEARCHING FOR NAYA RIVERA. HER SON NEEDS HER!”

since they want to suspend the search for naya rivera let’s inform them that the world is watching. KEEP SEARCHING FOR NAYA RIVERA. HER SON NEEDS HER!!!!!

(805) 654-5000 county of Ventura

(805) 465-6650 sheriff’s office hotline

805-981-5301 EMS hotline https://t.co/c6YrsOxog3

— kate (@tcgallavich) July 9, 2020

He also hit the like button on a tweet that a fan had posted, with a screenshot of her calling the police.

“I just called police station and they are still searching for Naya Rivera,” it read.

I just called police station and they are still searching for Naya Rivera ❤️ pic.twitter.com/uzcP4ohENi

— . BLM🥀 (@lesterk_) July 9, 2020

What were Naya’s final social media posts?

On July 7, 2020, Naya shared a snap of herself kissing her son, which she captioned, “Just the two of us.”

View this post on Instagram

just the two of us

A post shared by Naya Rivera (@nayarivera) on Jul 7, 2020 at 3:15pm PDT

Two days before that, the brunette beauty posted a selfie.

“At this point we just vibin’ y’all,” she wrote.

View this post on Instagram

at this point we just vibin y'all

A post shared by Naya Rivera (@nayarivera) on Jul 5, 2020 at 2:18pm PDT

And on July 2, 2020, she shared a chilling tweet that read, “No matter the year, circumstance, or strifes, everyday you’re alive is a blessing. Make the most of today and every day you are given. Tomorrow is not promised.”

no matter the year, circumstance, or strifes everyday you're alive is a blessing. make the most of today and every day you are given. tomorrow is not promised pic.twitter.com/O4t7wdqA4k

— Naya Rivera (@NayaRivera) July 2, 2020

Rest in Peace, Naya.