Glee star, Naya Rivera is now presumed dead, with authorities saying their rescue operation is now considered a recovery mission. It follows her four-year-old son being found alone in a boat on Lake Piru in California after her disappearance.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office reports that Naya River and her son took a boat trip on the afternoon of Wednesday, 8th July. Her son, Josey Hollis Dorsey was found asleep in a boat by another boater just before 5pm that afternoon.
He told authorities that he and his mother had gone for a swim but she didn’t return to the boat.
The rescue operation was expected to continue at “first light” on Thursday, however, it was announced overnight that it had become a recovery mission.
The missing person at Lake Puru has been identified as Naya Rivera, 33, of Los Angeles. SAR operation will continue at first light. @VCAirUnit @fillmoresheriff @Cal_OES pic.twitter.com/bC3qaZS3Ra
— Ventura Co. Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 9, 2020
“The goal is still to bring Ms. Rivera home to her family so they can have some closure,” Deputy Chris Dyer told Page Six.
Naya Rivera’s identity was confirmed by her wallet in the boat with her son, alongside her life jacket.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Captain, Eric Buschow confirmed with the LA Times that Josey was in good health.
He told NBC LA that, “The family is going through a very traumatic time right now.”
“This is considered to be a horrible accident.”
Authorities suspended the search at 10pm on the Wednesday night and have addressed complaints. Speaking to E!News the department said, “There are challenges and safety issues at the sight.”
“Despite complaints that authorities suspended search efforts overnight, visibility for divers in the lake, during the day, is exceedingly limited somewhere between five and nine [feet]. You can’t see at night.”
The man-made Lake Piru is up to 130 metres deep.
