Autopsy report: Naya Rivera called for help as she drowned
LOS ANGELES – An autopsy report released Friday says “Glee” actor Naya Rivera raised her arm and called for help as she accidentally drowned while boating with her 4-year-old son on a California lake. Once his mother had helped him back on to the boat, the boy “noticed the decedent put her arm up in the air and yelled ‘help,’" the report from the Ventura County Medical Examiner says. Rivera “knew how to swim well,” the report said. Josey, Rivera's son with her former husband, actor Ryan Dorsey, was found sleeping and alone on the drifting boat later that afternoon. Another co-star, Mark Salling, who Rivera dated at one point, killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.
Actress Naya Rivera, who rose to fame in 'Glee,' dies at 33
NEW YORK Naya Rivera, a singer and actress who played a gay cheerleader on the hit TV musical comedy Glee, was found dead Monday in a Southern California lake. What a force you were, wrote Glee co-star Jane Lynch on Twitter. She is survived by her parents, Yolanda and George; a younger brother, Mychal; a sister, Nickayla; and her 4-year-old son. Naya Rivera was a fierce talent with so much more to do and this is such a terrible tragedy. In the preface to her autobiography, Rivera wrote that motherhood had changed her life and given it perspective.
Authorities search for 'Glee' star believed to have drowned
Search and rescue personnel exit the pier at Lake Piru in Los Padres National Forest, Calif., Thursday, July 9, 2020. Authorities said Thursday that they believe "Glee" star Naya Rivera drowned in the lake but they are continuing the search for her a day after her 4-year-old son was found alone in a rented boat. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)Authorities planned Friday to renew the search for Glee star Naya Rivera, who is believed to have drowned in a Southern California lake while boating with her 4-year-old son. Rivera is believed to have drowned in what appears to be a tragic accident, the statement said. The boy, Riveras son from her marriage to actor Ryan Dorsey, was safe and healthy and with family members, authorities said.
Naya Rivera Wrote 'Tomorrow Is Not Promised' Days Before Her Disappearance
The post is particularly poignant in light of the fact that authorities have reportedly presumed that Rivera has died after going missing on Wednesday. The 33-year-old Glee actress rented a boat with her 4-year-old son, Josey, at 1 p.m. according to NBCLA. According to multiple reports, Ventura County Police have presumed Rivera to be dead and are calling it a search and recovery effort. In the episode, Rivera, who played Santana Lopez on the show, sang a moving tribute of The Band Perry's song, "If I Die Young," in honor of Monteith. RELATED CONTENT:Naya Rivera Missing: Eyewitness Saw Actress Getting Into Boat With SonInside Naya Riveras Sweet Relationship With Her 4-Year-Old Son JoseyNaya Rivera Presumed Dead Following Her Disappearance