

Shocking news broke overnight that actress Naya Rivera was officially named a missing person after she and her 4-year-old son rented a boat on Lake Piru in California. The latest, and the horrific news authorities are now giving, inside.
Late yesterday evening, Ventura County police reported that a woman had been reported missing around Lake Piru, and search and rescue crews had been fully launched to find her. Shortly after, the Sheriff confirmed the missing woman is "Glee" star Naya Rivera, and her 4-year-old son, Josey, was found alone on a boat in the middle of the lake.
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
There are still so many questions, but the possibility of finding Naya alive at this point, is grim, according to authorities. The sheriff's department has now changed the investigation into a search and recovery effort, and she has been presumed dead and is suspected to have drowned.
CBS L.A. reported the timeline of the occurrence, and it is still unclear how little Josey got back to the boat:
According to the sheriff’s office, Rivera rented a pontoon boat at about 1 p.m. Wednesday for herself and her 4-year-old son to take out onto Lake Piru, which is located about 50 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.
About three hours later, another boater found her child sleeping in the boat by himself. The boater notified officials, who immediately began a search for Rivera with the use of helicopters, drones and dive teams.
The child was said to be unharmed and told investigators that he and his mother were swimming, but his mother never got back into the boat.
It was not immediately clear how the child got back into the boat.
The Sheriff's department also released an image of what the boat looks like:
#NayaRivera: “This is considered to be a horrible accident” @VENTURASHERIFF tells @NBCLA. This pontoon boat is similar to the one @NayaRivera rented with her four year old son. He was found asleep on the boat, wearing a life-vest. An adult life-vest was also found on board. pic.twitter.com/12lV5U6ryD
— Robert Kovacik (@RobertNBCLA) July 9, 2020
It's unclear if anyone else was on this boat, as it does seem quote large for only a mother and her toddler son.
It's also known that that the waters in Lake Piru could sometimes be dangerous.
Incredibly sad and frightening.
This morning, the rescue (and now recovery) crews stated they were still actively searching for Naya:
The search for Naya Rivera will continue this morning at Lake Piru. The lake will be closed to the public while search operations continue. Dive teams from throughout the region will be assisting us through mutual aid. @VCAirUnit @Cal_OES @fillmoresheriff pic.twitter.com/q6LsHd8xaT
— Ventura Co. Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 9, 2020
Multiple teams of professional search & rescue personnel are actively searching Lake Piru for clues to the location of Naya Rivera. With over 80 people involved in the search right now, we are using helicopters, boats, ATV vehicles, and ground personnel to try and locate her. pic.twitter.com/o2bN5sQFms
— Ventura Co. Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 9, 2020
We have mutual aid for specialized dive teams en route from Los Angeles County, San Luis Obispo County, and Tulare County. We will keep you posted with any updates as we learn them. Our hearts and prayers go out the all of the family and friends of the Rivera family. #sheriffvc pic.twitter.com/ukmr48HXow
— Ventura Co. Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 9, 2020
Fans, celebrities and Naya's former castmates are pouring our their prayers and love for her on social media, still hoping for a more positive outcome.
Heather Morris prays for Naya Rivera’s safe return after she goes missing:
"We need all the prayers we can get to bring our Naya back home to us. We need your love and light” pic.twitter.com/fgGNHuwtaH
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 9, 2020
Oh God... mercy... please... Actress Naya Rivera, known for 'Glee' missing and may have drowned after going boating on Lake Piru | https://t.co/QBOBaBJwPi https://t.co/NlBldzyQVv
— iqbal theba (@iqbaltheba) July 9, 2020
Praying.
— Harry Shum Jr (@HarryShumJr) July 9, 2020
The last picture she posted on her Instagram, as well as a few other recent posts, are haunting:
Naya was slated to appear in the upcoming season of "Step Up" on Starz:
After starring on several episodes of The Bernie Mac Show from 2002-2006, she became a Hollywood darling with her role on the cult favortie show "Glee", starring in ever season as "Santana Lopez" from 2009-2015. Naya has starred on Starz' "Step Up" since 2018.
After ending an "It Couple" status relationship with ex-fiancé Big Sean in 2014, she married actor Ryan Dorsey that same year. They welcomed little Josey Dorsey a couple of years later, and divorced in 2018. In her memoir released in 2016, “Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up,” she called their baby boy "her greatest success" and said, “I will never do any better than him.”
Our hearts and prayers go out to Naya's family and all of her loved ones during this impossible time.
Photos: GIO_LE/DFree for Shutterstock.com
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