Police Confirm Dead Body Belongs To Naya Rivera

Police have confirmed that the dead body recovered from Lake Piru belongs to the missing Glee star Naya Rivera and revealed that the actress may have drowned after saving her four-year-old son. 

Rivera's body was found floating in the northeast area of the lake where the water is between 35 and 60 feet deep on Monday, July 13.

Her four-year-old son, Josey Hollis, remains to be the only witness of the heartbreaking incident and the police are clinging on to his statement as to what happened. 

"We know from speaking with her son, that he and Naya swam in the lake together at some point during their journey. It was during that time that her son described being helped into the boat by Naya, who boosted him onto the deck from behind.

"He told investigators that he looked back and saw her disappear under the surface of the water." Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said in a press conference.

The 33-year-old actress has been missing since July 8, after he and her son rented a boat in Lake Piru.

Hollis was later found alone and asleep in the boat by a leasing agent after the boat was overdue with the return. The child was wearing a life jacket while another adult-sized life jacket was found beside him, presumably belonging to the actress.

The police said that a strong current may have drifted the boat away from the two while they were swimming,

"The idea perhaps being that the boat started drifting, it was unanchored, and that she mustered enough energy to get her son back onto the boat, but not enough to save herself," Ayub said.

Police said that there is no indication of a foul play or suicide behind Rivera's death, although a formal autopsy will still be carried out at the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office.

Rivera's Glee co-stars and family were seen holding each other's hands in the lake's shoreline as they grieved for the actress's death. 

Countless fans and co-stars have expressed their grief following the incident.

"‪RIP Naya Rivera. I’ll forever cherish the opportunity to play your girlfriend on Glee. The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted (at the time) queer girls like me, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world. My heart goes out to your loved ones at this time." Demi Lovato said in a social media post. 

Chris Colfer who played Kurt on Glee also wrote a lengthy emotional post for the actress. 

Coincidentally, the actress's body was found on the seventh anniversary of Cory Monteith's death, another Glee star who died of combined drug intoxication in 2013.

Five years after Monteith's death, Glee fans received another devastating news after another Glee star died. Mark Salling, who has dated Rivera in the past, died by suicide at the age of 35 on January 30, 2018.