A body was recovered in Lake Piru on Monday morning five days after “Glee” actress Naya Rivera was reported missing, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said.
Rivera has not been positively identified.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 07: Naya Rivera arrives for the Point Honors Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 7, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo
“We presume that it is the body of Naya Rivera, but we are awaiting confirmation from the coroner who is en route now,” Sgt. Martha Bugarin said.
On Wednesday around 1 p.m., Rivera rented a pontoon boat with her four-year-old son, Josey, by her side.
Authorities released surveillance footage that showed the 33-year-old parking her black Mercedes G-Wagon and then walking with her son to the boat. This was the last known footage of her.
Body found in Lake Piru days after Naya Rivera goes missing
A body was recovered in Lake Piru on Monday morning five days after actress Naya Rivera was reported missing, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said.
Nearly four hours later, her son was found sleeping alone aboard the rented pontoon on the northern part of the lake called “The Narrows” with a life vest on. Rivera was nowhere in sight.
Officials said they found Rivera’s purse and an adult life jacket on board.
On Thursday, authorities said the search shifted to a recovery mission and that the actress was presumed drowned in what they believe was a tragic accident.
Crews said the mission was challenging due to the low visibility in the lake’s murky waters.
“We’re using a little bit less people in the search but more technology to help us find better clues. We have boats going out with specific missions to deploy sonar and help identify targets to investigate,” Sgt. Kevin Donoghue said Thursday.
Rivera is best known for her role as the sassy Santana Lopez on the hit FOX show “Glee,” for six years. She is also an author and singer.
Ventura County officials are set to provide an update at 2 p.m. Monday.
Rivera started acting at a young age. She made her acting debut in the early 1990s TV series “The Royal Family” as Hillary Winston, starring alongside Jackee Harry.
She also made guest appearances on episodes of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Family Matters,” “The Sinbad Show” and “The Bernie Mac Show,” before landing her breakout role on “Glee,” according to her IMDb page.
She was married to actor Ryan Dorsey from 2014 to 2018.
Her “Glee” costar, Jane Lynch, expressed her condolences on Twitter.
“Glee” cast members have faced tragedy over the years.
Cory Monteith died of an accidental overdose in 2013 and Mark Salling died of an apparent suicide in 2018.
