Glee actress Naya Rivera died in July 2020 due to an accidental drowning, but heroically saved her son before her tragic demise.
Beloved actress Naya Rivera’s death shocked Hollywood and the Glee fandom – known as Gleeks – alike. Her passing was the third high-profile incident within the show after the deaths of Cory Monteith and Mark Salling in 2013 and 2018, respectively.
Glee star was reported missing
Rivera, 33, was announced as a missing person on July 8, 2020, after her then-four-year-old son, Josey, was found alone wearing a life jacket in their rented pontoon boat at Lake Piru, California. A second life jacket was found onboard.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office claimed the Glee star was presumed dead the next day. Divers found a body in Lake Piru between 35 and 60ft deep on July 13, which was later confirmed to be Rivera’s.
Autopsy reports revealed the cause of death as accidental drowning, and authorities stated the mother of one died after putting her son back on the boat.
Naya Rivera ‘mustered enough energy’ to rescue son before death
Josey, who Rivera shared with former husband, actor Ryan Dorsey, told police he had gone swimming with his mother and watched her disappear under the surface, Sheriff Bill Ayub recalled to CNN.
“She mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself,” Ayub added.
Rivera was reportedly a strong swimmer and Dorsey’s lawsuit asserts the boat was “carried away – likely by the current and wind,” the Los Angeles Times quotes.
In November 2020, the Yellowstone actor filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of his son, claiming Ventura County, the boat rental company, and United Water Conservation District, which operates the lake, failed to properly warn against the dangers of swimming in Lake Piru and provide adequate safety equipment on the rented boat.
A settlement was reached in February 2021.
Naya Rivera posted a touching photo to her son day before boat tragedy
One day before the incident, the Grammy-nominated singer showed her devotion to Josey with an Instagram post.
Naya uploaded a heartfelt image of her cuddling her son while giving him a kiss. The caption read: “Just the two of us.”
Tribute messages have continued to pour in on her profile, with fans praising her final moments:
“This photo is so heartbreaking,” one commented. “She really used all her strength she had left in her to save her baby boy from that rip current but couldn’t save herself.”
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