On July 13, Glee actress Naya Rivera’s body was found in Lake Piru in Southern California, five days after she went boating with her 4-year-old son Josey Hollis Dorsey and then went missing. Authorities who investigated the incident shared, however, that they believe Rivera spent her last moments fighting to save her son.
Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub shared in a press conference on Monday that a body that was confirmed to be Rivera’s had been found in Lake Piru. He also shared her son Josey’s recounting of the events that occurred leading up to the 33-year-old’s death.
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"We know from speaking with her son that he and Naya swam in the lake together at some point during their journey,” Sheriff Ayub said. “It was during that time that her son described being helped into the boat by Naya, who boosted him onto the deck from behind. He told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water."
The sheriff then went on to say that "there are a lot of currents on the lake that appear particularly in the afternoon,” which was the time of day that investigators believe she had gone missing. “The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting, it was unanchored, and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself.”
Fellow boaters said they saw the two on the lake when they first went out and later found Josey asleep in a boat by himself. He had been wearing a life vest and a towel, and an unused adult life vest was also with him in the boat.
The sheriff also said that they see no evidence of suicide or foul play, and an autopsy is underway to officially identify the body.
The news of Rivera’s death, coupled with the authorities’ theories about her final moments, led to an outpour of grief and kind words from the actress’ Glee co-stars as well as many other celebrities.