Naya Rivera: ‘Glee’ Star Presumed Dead by Drowning as ‘Search’ Becomes a ‘Recovery’


“Glee” star Naya Rivera has gone missing after a boating incident Wednesday. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has now changed the “search” operation into a “recovery” operation as it has been presumed the actress drowned in Lake Piru in California.

“That hasn’t changed anything, and the efforts that we’re putting forth to locate her,” Deputy Dryer said, per CBSN Los Angeles. “It kind of changes the title in a sense. We’re presuming that an accident happened, and we’re presuming that she drowned in the lake.”

According to the police, the “Glee” actress rented a boat at 1:00 p.m. to go swimming with her 4-year-old son. The boat was later found drifting on the lake with the boy sleeping in it. The police were able to identify that it was Rivera’s boat because her wallet was in the vessel. An adult life jacket was also found next to her things.

“We’re going on the belief that she did go in the water, and we have not been able to locate her,” a spokesperson for the police said. “So this may well be a case of drowning.”

Rivera’s son was able to tell the cops that his mother was swimming and did not return. Authorities say that the boy was in good health and was wearing a life jacket.

The search for the 33-year-old star continues and the lake has been closed to the public. At least 80 people, including divers, are now looking for her body as the police said they are intent on bringing Rivera home to her family.

Rivera was Santana Lopez on “Glee,” the Fox musical series that ran for six years beginning 2009. The actress’ co-stars have been posting their messages of prayers on social media.

Rivera was married to Ryan Dorsey in 2014 and had a son, Josey, before their divorce in 2018. The couple has been co-parenting Josey.