Naya Rivera missing: Glee star’s son saw mother disappear under water at Lake Piru
Naya Rivera’s four-year-old son, Josey Hollis, has told police that he saw his mother disappear beneath the water at a lake in California.
The Glee star is feared to have drowned after going missing during a boat trip to Lake Piru on Wednesday 8 July.
Josey was found asleep on the boat while wearing a life jacket. An adult-sized life jacket was also found on board.
Lake Piru is a popular spot for swimmers based around 56 miles from central Los Angeles.
CCTV from the dock on the lake shows Rivera’s rented boat departing from the shore at about 1pm on 8 July. It was found drifting in the northern area of the lake at around 4pm.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office sergeant Kevin Donoghue said there is no evidence to suggest the 33-year-old left the lake.
“Our first day was a rescue effort, it was a life-saving effort,” he said.
“We searched with people on the ground, on the shoreline. We were looking not just for her physically, we were looking for any clues, any evidence that suggested she made it to shore.
“We didn’t find any clues, any evidence that suggested she made it to shore. The most conclusive piece of evidence we’re really holding on to right now is the statements from her son, the only witness.”
Sgt Donaghue said he was confident that Rivera is “in the water and that at some point in time we will recover her from the lake”.
Rivera is best known for playing cheerleader Santana Lopez in Glee, the popular musical comedy series that aired on the Fox network between 2009 to 2015.
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Security footage shows Naya Rivera’s last known movements
‘Little to no evidence’ that missing Glee star made it back to shore
