Naya Rivera's Tragic Boat Rental: What We Know

On July 7, 2020, Naya Rivera rented a pontoon boat with her four-year-old son, Josey, at Lake Piru, California. The actress and singer, best known for her role in the TV series 'Glee', was declared missing the next day after she failed to return from the boating excursion.

Naya Rivera rented a pontoon boat

Surveillance footage shows Rivera and her son arriving at the lake and walking to the dock, where they rented the boat at around 1 pm on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. They were expected back at 4 pm, but when they did not return, a search began.

The boat was found with young Josey alone on board, wearing a life jacket. He told authorities that he and his mother had been swimming, but she did not get back on the boat. An adult life jacket was found on board, along with Rivera's purse and wallet, and some food.

The search for Rivera proved challenging due to the lake's limited visibility and underwater plants. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office announced that the search had changed from a rescue to a recovery effort, as Rivera was presumed dead, the possible victim of an accidental drowning.

Rivera's body was recovered on July 13, 2020, and her death was ruled an accidental drowning. The investigation determined that she exhausted herself saving her son's life.

She was with her son, Josey Hollis Dorsey

On July 8, 2020, Naya Rivera was declared missing after she failed to return from a boating trip on Lake Piru, California. The rented pontoon boat was found with her son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, alone on board.

Rivera and her four-year-old son, Josey, had arrived at the lake at around 1 pm and were expected back at 4 pm. When they didn't return, a search began. Josey was found at around 5 pm, asleep on the boat and wearing a life jacket.

In an interview with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, Josey said that he and his mother had jumped off the boat to go swimming. He got back on the boat, but his mother struggled to return to the boat and he saw her disappear underwater. The boat was found unanchored, and it is believed that they were caught in a rip current, which is common in that area of the lake. The wind that afternoon is also thought to have caused the boat to drift and rock violently, making it even more challenging for Rivera to get back on board.

The search for Rivera switched from a rescue to a recovery mission, with authorities presuming that the 33-year-old actress and singer had drowned. The search lasted until July 13, 2020, when her body was recovered, and her death was ruled as accidental. The investigation determined that Rivera had exhausted herself saving her son's life.

Josey, Rivera's son with her ex-husband, actor Ryan Dorsey, was safe and healthy and was taken into the care of his father.

They arrived at the dock around 1 pm

It was Wednesday, July 8, 2020, and the pair arrived at the lake around 1 pm. They parked in the lot, and walked to the dock, where they rented a pontoon boat. They also had a small watercraft with them. The mother and son then set off onto the lake, with Rivera at the wheel. They planned to go for a swim in the lake, which Rivera was very familiar with, having taken similar trips since she was young.

Rivera and her son were expected back at the dock by 4 pm. When they did not return, a search began. The boat vendor who had rented the pontoon to Rivera discovered Josey alone on the boat around 5 pm. The child was asleep, wearing an adult life vest. Rivera's purse, wallet, and some food were also found on the boat. Josey told investigators that he and his mother had jumped off the boat and into the lake for a swim. He said that she had helped him climb back onto the boat, but was unable to climb back on herself. He recalled that she had reached up and called out for help, and that he had searched for a rope on the boat to help her.

The search for Rivera began immediately, with over 50 people on the water searching for her on Wednesday, and over 100 on Thursday. However, the search proved to be very challenging due to the lake's limited visibility and underwater plants.

The boat was rented from Lake Piru

Lake Piru was the only lake in the county to permit swimming, making it a popular destination. However, it has seen multiple drownings over the years. Naya Rivera, an experienced boater, had been visiting the lake for years and considered it a "sanctuary".

Surveillance footage from the lake shows Rivera and her son, Josey, arriving at the dock around 1:00 p.m. on July 7, 2020. They rented a pontoon boat and pulled out into the lake. Josey was later found alone on the boat, and authorities presumed that Rivera had drowned.

The search for Rivera's body proved challenging due to the lake's limited visibility and underwater plants. Despite the efforts of multiple agencies, including dive teams and sonar equipment, it took several days to locate her remains.

The boat rented by Rivera was not equipped with adequate safety equipment, according to a subsequent lawsuit filed by her ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, and her estate. They claimed that the boat did not have flotation devices, a ladder, rope, an anchor, a radio, or any security mechanisms to prevent swimmers from being separated from the boat.

Rivera was presumed dead after going missing

On July 8, 2020, Naya Rivera was declared missing after she failed to return from a boating trip on Lake Piru, California, with her four-year-old son, Josey Dorsey. The rented boat was found with Josey alone on board, and Rivera was nowhere to be found. A search-and-rescue operation was launched, but Rivera was presumed dead the following day.

Rivera and her son had left the dock at about 1:00 p.m. PDT and were expected back at 4:00 p.m. When they did not return, a search began. Josey was found at around 5:00 p.m., alone and asleep on the boat, wearing a life jacket. He told investigators that he and Rivera had jumped into the lake together for a swim, but his mother had told him to get back onto the boat. Rivera helped him climb back into the boat but was unable to climb back onboard herself and disappeared underwater. Josey recalled that she reached up and called out for help while he searched for a rope to help her. He also stated that she had not been wearing a life jacket.

The boat was found unanchored, and it is believed that it drifted from where Rivera entered the water. The Ventura County sheriff suggested that the pair likely found themselves caught in a rip current, which can be common in that area of the lake, particularly in the afternoon. He concluded that Rivera probably "mustered enough energy to save her son, but not enough to save herself".

The search for Rivera's body was challenging due to poor visibility in the lake, with rescue diver Robert Inglis stating:

> "When we're on the bottom, as we're doing our searches, we do come across trees under water and some of them are 15 feet tall. So we're searching the whole area, got to go up 15 feet and then come back down."

Multiple dive teams used sonar to search the lake, and cadaver dogs also accompanied the search teams. On July 13, a body was found floating in the lake and was confirmed to be Rivera's at a press conference later that day. The body had likely been trapped in vegetation underwater before resurfacing. Rivera was officially declared dead on July 13, with the death ruled as an accidental drowning.

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