Glee’ actress Naya Rivera presumed dead after going missing while boating with son, officials say
Missing 'Glee' actress Naya Rivera presumed dead at 33
Naya Rivera went missing on July 8. Her 4-year-old son was found alone on their rented pontoon boat on California's Lake Piru.
(Allie Caren/The Washington Post)
Actress Naya Rivera is missing and presumed dead in a Southern California lake, according to authorities, after officials found her 4-year-old son floating alone on their rented boat on Wednesday afternoon.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office confirmed late Wednesday that a “possible drowning victim” at Lake Piru was Rivera, 33, best known for her breakout role in the TV series “Glee.” The sheriff’s office tweeted that the search-and-rescue mission for Rivera had been suspended and would “continue at first light” on Thursday.
“There’s no evidence of foul play at this point,” Capt. Eric Buschow, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, said at a news conference. “This may well be a case of drowning.”
Rivera rented a pontoon boat with her toddler, Josey Hollis Dorsey, around 1 p.m. Wednesday on Lake Piru, a reservoir in Los Padres National Forest, according to authorities. About three hours later, when the boat was past its scheduled return time, another boater on the lake found Josey sleeping alone on the pontoon. Dive teams, helicopters and drones were deployed as part of the search-and-rescue mission, which was suspended around 10 p.m.
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Josey, who officials said was unharmed, told investigators he and his mother were swimming but she never got back to the boat. Josey was found wearing a life vest and investigators located an adult life vest on the pontoon, Buschow said. The child, whose father is actor Ryan Dorsey, was reunited with family members, police said. Rivera and Dorsey, who divorced in 2018, share custody of Josey.
Buschow added there are “a lot of challenges in a reservoir this size,” but did not have any additional details on the conditions on the lake. There would be “a lot of resources” available Thursday in the efforts to find Rivera, he said.
The Los Angeles native’s acting career began when she was 4 on the CBS sitcom “The Royal Family.” Throughout her career, Rivera made guest appearances on shows such as “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Family Matters” and “The Bernie Mac Show.”
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She won critical acclaim in the role of cheerleader Santana Lopez on “Glee,” appearing as a main character for the majority of the show’s six-season run. She was nominated for a Grammy in 2011 as part of the “Glee” ensemble cast for their rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” While on the show, Rivera signed a record deal with Columbia Records in 2011, one of the first “Glee” actors to ink a solo artist contract.
She most recently had a recurring role on the YouTube Premium show “Step Up.”
Jackée Harry, who starred alongside Rivera on “The Royal Family,” said she was praying for her former co-star.
“Please God, don’t cut this life short,” she tweeted.
In the days leading up to Wednesday’s boating trip, Rivera shared photos of her and Josey, as well as inspirational messages about enjoying life.
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“No matter the year, circumstance, or strifes everyday you’re alive is a blessing,” she tweeted. “Make the most of today and every day you are given. tomorrow is not promised.”
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