UPDATE – Authorities say Glee actress Naya Rivera presumed drowned

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

UPDATE: According to TMZ, authorities have made it clear that the search for Glee actress Naya Rivera has now gone from a rescue to recovery mission as they believe she is presumed drowned after going missing Wednesday afternoon while swimming with her son. She went missing in water with only 5 to 9 inches of visibility and authorities also say the lake is filled with trees and debris at the bottom. Law enforcement says that it typically takes 7 to 10 days to rise to the surface given the conditions of the lake. The search does still continue and we will update you on any changes as they come in.

Some very sad and tragic news arrived late last night that suggests that former Glee actress, Naya Rivera, has been reported missing after a swimming trip with her son at Lake Piru in California. Ventura County Sheriff’s Department officials launched a search for the 33-year-old actress after her 4-year-old son was found alone on a boat in the lake Wednesday afternoon. Lake Piru is located in Ventura County, California, in the Los Padres National Forest, over 50 miles north of Los Angeles.

According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, via KCBS-TV, Rivera rented a boat at about 1:00 PM with her young son. About three hours later, another boater found the child in the boat by himself and Rivera was nowhere to be found. According to reports, via "Deadline",  the boy told authorities that he and Rivera had been swimming and that he got back in the boat but his mother didn't. Reports also say that when the boy was found he was asleep in the boat with a life jacket on and that another adult life vest was found on the boat. 

Helicopters, drones, and dive teams were immediately sent out to search for Rivera and she was identified as a "possible drowning victim." Due to the darkness that set in late into the night, the search was suspended. As of this morning, the search has resumed in the area. Captain Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said "There's no evidence of foul play at this point" and that "This may well be a case of drowning." Rivera's son has been placed in the custody of family members. 

Rivera is best known for portraying Santana Lopez on Ryan Murphy's musical dramedy series Glee from 2009-2015. After her run on the show, she went on to appear on Devious Maids and Step Up: High Water, which was recently picked up for a second season by Starz after being canceled by YouTube. As a member of the Glee cast, she received several nominations at the Screen Actor's Guild Awards, Grammys, and Teen Choice Awards. Rivera posted this last Instagram post of her and her son on Tuesday and it's an image and caption that makes this situation all the more tragic. We will update this story as soon as new information comes in.